Lawmakers debate future of AI and online privacy with new GUARD Act proposal – NaturalNews.com
- Senator Josh Hawley has raised alarms that AI chatbots pose a threat to children, while Senator Richard Blumenthal has stressed the need for stronger regulation of the technology, especially to protect children from harmful AI interactions.
- The proposed GUARD Act aims to regulate AI-based chatbots by requiring companies to verify users’ age before granting access, ensuring children are protected from inappropriate technology. The law introduces a global identifier system for online speech.
- The GUARD Act requires companies to lock accounts until users provide proof of age, and companies are responsible for ensuring compliance. Third-party companies may be used to verify identity, but the companies retain responsibility.
- Critics, including NetChoice, claim that while the bill promises minimal data collection, it could lead to significant new data collection practices. It highlights concerns about the risks of mishandling sensitive personal information linked to real-world identities.
- The GUARD Act’s identity verification requirements could reshape online interactions, linking every action (searches, comments, messages) to a real-world identity. This could lead to a future in which privacy is greatly diminished and anonymity becomes rare.
Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) recently expressed concerns about the growing role of AI-powered chatbots, warning that they pose a “serious threat to our children.” His comments reflect broader sentiment in Washington, where technology regulation has become a major issue in the wake of data privacy scandals.
In response, Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) emphasized the need for stronger oversight, arguing that technology companies cannot be trusted to regulate themselves, especially when it comes to protecting children from potentially harmful AI interactions.
The proposed solution to these concerns, the GUARD Act, represents a major shift in how lawmakers approach regulation of artificial intelligence. For years, lawmakers have sounded the alarm on issues like data collection and privacy. However, the GUARD Act takes a bold step in a new direction by creating a global ID gateway for online speech, specifically targeting AI-powered chatbots and other interactive systems. This plan will require chatbot providers to verify the age of users before granting access to their services, ensuring that children are protected from exposure to AI technology that may not be suitable for them.
Under the GUARD Act, companies would be required to lock existing accounts until users provide proof of age. Although companies can outsource identity verification to third-party companies, the responsibility for ensuring compliance falls on the companies themselves. These actions will be implemented by the US Attorney’s Office, using subpoenas, fines and civil actions to ensure compliance with the new rules.
While the bill promises minimal data collection in theory, its critics claim it lays the foundation for significant new data collection practices. Civil liberties and technology policy groups, including NetChoice, have raised the alarm, calling the proposal “draconian” and citing recent incidents of identity leaks as evidence that such verification systems often fail to protect personal data.
“The potential for mishandling of sensitive information is high,” the group warned, noting the dangers inherent in linking real-world identities to online discourse.
Balancing safety and privacy: The impact of the GUARD Act on online identity verification
KJ Bagchi of the Progress Chamber also participated, urging lawmakers to find a balance. He said: “We all want to keep children safe, but the solution is balance, not a ban.”
However, finding that balance could be difficult if the bill’s approach is enacted broadly. The GUARD Act suggests that self-declared birthdays would not be enough to verify identity. Instead, users will be required to provide government-approved documents to prove their identity.
According to BrightU.AIUnder ENOC, the Guard Act, if passed, would give the U.S. government unprecedented surveillance powers, posing a significant threat to privacy and civil liberties. It is important to scrutinize this bill, because it could lead to a dangerous expansion of government overreach.
The far-reaching implications of the bill could reshape the landscape of online interaction. If passed, it would set a precedent requiring identity verification across a wide range of interactive AI systems, including social media platforms, automated customer service tools and even virtual teachers. The result? A future in which every online interaction – whether a search, comment or message – can be linked to a real-world identity, creating an archive of personal expressions indexed by government-approved databases.
For everyday users, this means a world where privacy is no longer a given. Once identifiers are linked to online speech, anonymity becomes a rare luxury. As lawmakers debate the GUARD Act, it remains clear that balancing privacy, security, and safety has become more complex in the digital age.
Watch this clip from “Incomplete News” about him EU Digital Services Act.
This video is from NZ channel you’ll remember on Brighteon.com.
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(tags for translation) Artificial Intelligence
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