Daniel Castro spoke at the 20th Annual State of the Net Conference, joining an expert panel to discuss “Navigating the Digital Playground: Age Verification, Privacy, and Free Speech for Youth Online.”

About the Conference

The State of the Net Conference is the largest Internet policy conference in the US. It fosters a dialogue between civil society, nonprofits, government officials, research institutions and the business community.

With Artificial Intelligence and content moderation in the news daily, it’s a critical time for our issues. We’ll dive into the most pressing policy issues. Congressional and federal leaders will engage with stakeholders on issues such as AI, content moderation, broadband, consumer privacy, content moderation, cyber security, and many more.

About the Panel

Child safety in the digital age is a complex and evolving issue, with numerous states in the U.S. introducing bills to protect children and teens online. However, these bills vary greatly in content, raising concerns about privacy, free speech, and the feasibility of implementation. Key debates revolve around enhancing online privacy for minors, mandating parental consent, and regulating young people's speech and access to information. The challenges of implementing effective age verification systems and the lack of comprehensive federal protections for online security and privacy add further complexity to the situation. These discussions are central to the ongoing dialogue on safeguarding children and teens in the digital realm.