Connect x Protect believes young people deserve age-appropriate online spaces where they can connect safely while protecting their privacy. This campaign amplifies the voices of parents and kids to demand policymakers find solutions that protect kids online in a way that preserves privacy and makes the internet safer for everyone.
Protect Teens. Preserve Privacy.
Parents shouldn’t have to choose between online safety and privacy.
Kids deserve both.
- We advocate for a safer internet for kids — one where young people can benefit from the connected world without sacrificing their privacy or the security of their personal data.
- We push back on flawed policies that present a false choice between safety and privacy and rely on ineffective measures like age-verification checks that expose sensitive data and ignore the risks kids encounter on web browsers, consoles, and desktops.
- We believe that we can keep kids connected and protected — we educate and empower families by translating the complicated proposals before policymakers into clear, transparent guidance and advocate for better solutions that include privacy and security at their core.
- We seek a practical path — a safer digital ecosystem with shared responsibility and smarter solutions. Through research, collaboration, and clear communication, we help families and policymakers understand what effective online safety looks like — without sacrificing kidsʼ privacy, security, or well-being.
What We're Reading
- Marchand: Illinois Online Age-Verification Bill ‘Poses Serious First Amendment Concerns’Ross Marchand, Executive Director of the Taxpayers Protection Alliance, said an Illinois proposal requiring age verification across internet-connected devices and websites threatens free speech and personal privacy.
- Teen GLP-1 Purchases Reveal The Danger Of App Store Accountability LawParents are essential to good parental outcomes. It’s unfortunate that the obvious must be stated, but sometimes it must be. Particularly right now.
- Online Age Checks Create a Pointless Privacy RiskNew cybersecurity research indicates that one of the world's leading age verification providers collects and shares highly sensitive personal data—including facial photos and device fingerprints—with third parties. The research also reveals that most websites that require age verification don't enforce the policy.
- The EU Commission’s Approach to Age Verification: Mobile Apps, DSA Enforcement, and Challenging National Social Media BansOn 29 April 2026, the European Commission published its Recommendation for a common approach for EU-wide age verification technologies, a non-binding policy document with the aim of harmonizing future measures for the protection of children online.
Updates
- When Age Verification Goes WrongHow Some Bills Could Backfire for Real Families – Everyone agrees: kids and teens deserve safer online spaces. But some age verification proposals could create new risks while promising protection.
- Virtual Panel on Digital SafetyEpisode 1 (Digital Safety): Connect x Protect executive director Terry Samuel interviews Shane Tews of the American Enterprise Institute, Ben Gillenwater, The Family IT Guy and Dr. Joseph South, an education innovation specialist at the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) and former director of the Office of Educational Technology at the U.S. Department of Education.
- Connect x Protect Launches Campaign to Protect Kids and Teens Online In South CarolinaCampaign comprised of public, private and nonprofit sectors will educate on importance of kids safety and security across the country
The internet is where we live much of our lives.
For kids and teens, it is how they learn and grow, communicate and build community.They deserve an internet that is as safe as it is exciting.
