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
- Sign on to Parents over Platforms ActThe recent news about Meta settling with 47 states, including ours, and paying $17 billion in penalties for all the harm it’s caused kids was good news. That being said, Congress still needs to do its job and pass laws that force Meta and other social media platforms to do more to keep kids safe.
- An Illusion of Online Safety Fails Both Parents and KidsA proposed set of federal and state laws, known as the App Store Accountability Act, would mandate age verification for all app store users who download apps or make in-app purchases. Proponents say it’s a necessary shield against online harms, but critics argue it erects a digital tollbooth on free expression, forcing every citizen to surrender personal data just to browse software.
- FBI Investigates Alleged Breach of IDs After Hackers Claim Hegseth Driver’s LicenseThe FBI is investigating an alleged cybersecurity breach of an ID verification company that potentially exposed millions of scans of driver’s licenses — including that of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, which cybercriminals advertised for sale.
- A Letter to the Editor – W.Va. Del. Kathie Hess CrouseWest Virginia is one of dozens of states suing Meta over the harm its platforms can cause children. Our governor signed West Virginia onto that lawsuit when he was attorney general, and he was right to do so. But lawsuits can only go so far. We need meaningful protections that change what happens when our children actually use these platforms. Two bills in the U.S. Senate claim to address this problem, but only one puts the responsibility where it belongs: on the platforms themselves.
Updates
- 2026 State Legislative Recap: Youth Online Safety & Age VerificationAs 2026 state sessions closed, lawmakers continued to debate bills claiming to protect kids online but could require families to share more personal information just to use everyday apps and websites. These proposals raise real privacy and security concerns that would impact everyone, not just kids.
- 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.
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.
