The quest for Big Government and even bigger Big Tech entities to erode what little privacy we have continues unabated. Yesterday‚ some of the most powerful Silicon Valley CEOs convened before Congress to explain why Americans must show ID to surf the web. Per usual‚ these schemes to rob our online sovereignty are cowardly and pushed in a vague call to protect children. U.S. lawmakers' motivation for online ID and age verification and tech CEOs' support for these measures signals a significant shift in the approach to online privacy and anonymity. The proposal for far-reaching online age verification standards‚ particularly the suggestion by Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg to impose age verification at the app store level‚ has profound implications. Enforcing such measures could dramatically alter the landscape of online interaction‚ making it difficult to engage in online activities without linking them to one's official identity. While intended to safeguard minors‚ these measures also pose risks of even more totalitarian surveillance and potential censorship and could hinder whistleblowing efforts by attaching a real-world identity to every online action.These nanny-state policies will infringe upon constitutional rights related to free speech and privacy. The First Amendment protects the right to speak anonymously‚ which has been a cornerstone of democratic discourse since the founding of the Republic. Remember how many Founding Fathers wrote essays attacking their British overlords under pen names? Moreover‚ there are concerns about the technical and practical challenges of implementing secure age verification processes that do not compromise user privacy or expose sensitive personal information to potential misuse. Spoiler alert: this is impossible.The support expressed by X CEO Linda Yaccarino and Snap CEO Evan Spiegel for legislation aimed at increasing online safety for children‚ including the Kids Online Safety Act and the Cooper Davis Act‚ underscores the tech industry's cynical push for regulatory efforts to protect minors online. However‚ these legislative proposals also signal a potential sea change in how privacy‚ encryption‚ and anonymity are treated online.The Kids Online Safety Act seeks to expand online age verification requirements‚ which could significantly affect how children interact with online content. While the idea of protecting kids from porn or ISIS videos is not a terrible impulse‚ destroying the rights of adults to post their thoughts anonymously is a horrible idea.The Cooper Davis Act‚ which targets private messaging apps and could ban end-to-end encryption‚ represents a direct challenge to secure and private communication. End-to-end encryption is a cornerstone of digital privacy‚ ensuring that messages can only be read by the sender and recipient‚ with no possibility of interception by third parties‚ including the service providers. Undermining this technology will expose users to increased surveillance‚ data breaches‚ and malicious actors while hindering journalists‚ activists‚ and whistleblowers who rely on encrypted communication to protect their sources and themselves.This is the backdoor to Chinese-esque surveillanceAnyone closely following the tech world will instantly recognize the Chinese-style security barrier this will create. In China‚ you must have a digital ID to access its censored web. It makes identifying dissidents and stifling enemies of the regime rather easy. Just to reiterate‚ these are a few of the intensely negative ramifications of asking for your (digital) papers: Online age verification raises significant privacy issues. Robust personal data‚ such as date of birth or residential details‚ is typically required to validate age. This would drive exponential data collection with limited oversight.The program will discourage anonymous online activity. From political dissenters to domestic abuse survivors‚ anonymity offers security for many internet users. An age verification mandate could chill this crucial internet freedom.The measure could constrict open-access information resources. Sites on peer-reviewed research articles‚ health advice‚ and education materials require unhindered‚ equitable access — a factor that age verification could undermine.An economic burden on website operators is apparent. The obligation to install and operate age-verification systems might restrict smaller platforms lacking the requisite resources.This directive could inadvertently support a precedent for content censorship‚ threatening freedom of speech.The Kids Online Safety Act has nothing to do with children or safety; it’s about curtailing our collective ability to criticize the powerful. Some of the regime's most articulate and intelligent critics have had to resort to tweeting and writing under pseudonyms. This is because we live in a proto-techno-Soviet environment where objecting to the "current thing" results in job loss‚ doxing‚ and being excluded from polite society. Protecting the rights of online s**t-posters is an imperative we can’t sacrifice to appease the pearl-clutching "won’t you think of the children?" morons.

Missouri police have obtained an early toxicology report in the case of three Kansas City Chiefs fans found dead in the backyard of their friend's home. The three friends were together to watch the last Chiefs football game of the regular season on Jan. 7 when they stopped responding to their loved ones. Two days later‚ their bodies were found‚ but police said they were not investigating the incident as a homicide. The homeowner later claimed through his attorney that he had not noticed the dead bodies of his friends in the backyard and also revealed that a fifth person had been at the party but left. On Wednesday‚ family members of the deceased said that they had met with police and were satisfied with what they were told about the progress of the investigation. Thursday‚ police said they had received the toxicology report but refused to release any further details. “There have been no additional details of this case revealed to any media‚ nor are there any plans to at this time. The case remains an ongoing death investigation‚” said a police spokesperson. “Both KCPD Detectives and the Platte County Prosecutor’s Office have been in touch with the deceased men’s families and remain in contact with them as the investigation unfolds.”TMZ reported that sources told them cocaine and fentanyl were detected in the bodies of the deceased. They added that a complete toxicology report might show indications of other drugs as well. A cousin of one of the victims said in an interview that he believed the owner of the home had provided drugs to the group and accidentally killed the three. He also claimed that the man had been allegedly providing drugs before the incident — to the point that he was referred to as "the chemist" by his friends. "It was easy for them to go have fun‚ but he f***ed up‚ he made a mistake‚” said Caleb McGeeney. “Jordan is somebody that is known from high school as‚ like‚ creating drugs for people to make them feel better in certain situations. ‘Okay‚ well‚ you wanna do this? I’m gonna make this for you‚ I’m gonna make this for you’ and handing them out‚” he claimed. An attorney for the homeowner‚ Jordan Willis‚ did not respond to a request from the New York Post for a response to the allegations. Here's more about the new report: Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Republican Rep. Ken Buck of Colorado has declared that he will not support the push to impeach Department of Homeland Security Sec. Alejandro Mayorkas."This is not a high crime or misdemeanor. It's not an impeachable offense. This is a policy difference‚" Buck said during an appearance on MSNBC. He acknowledged that there is a border crisis and that "the law needs to be enforced" but warned that if the GOP pursues the impeachment of a cabinet figure‚ the next Republican president "will face the same scrutiny from Democrats. It's wrong‚" he said‚ adding‚ "We should not set this precedent." — (@) The articles of impeachment accuse Mayorkas of refusing to uphold U.S. law."Mayorkas breached the public trust by knowingly making false statements to Congress and the American people and avoiding lawful oversight in order to obscure the devastating consequences of his willful and systemic refusal to comply with the law and carry out his statutory duties. He has also breached the public trust by willfully refusing to carry out his statutory duty to control the border and guard against illegal entry‚ notwithstanding the calamitous consequences of his abdication of that duty" one of the articles reads‚ in part.GOP lawmakers on the House Homeland Security Committee advanced the impeachment articles in a party-line vote‚ but even if Republicans manage to muster enough support to ram the articles through in a House vote‚ the subsequent Senate vote would essentially be guaranteed to fall short of the threshold required for conviction."In December 2023‚ the U.S. Border Patrol recorded 249‚785 encounters between ports of entry along the southwest border‚" according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection. "CBP's total encounters along the southwest border in December were 302‚034."Buck‚ who was one of the eight House Republicans who voted in favor of ousting then-Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) from the speakership last year‚ is not seeking re-election. McCarthy decided to depart from Congress before the end of his term and is no longer a House lawmaker.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

The latest teacher sex scandal involves a former Iowa teacher who admitted to sexually abusing three students as young as 13 years old. The husband of the 24-year-old teacher divorced his newlywed wife after the accusations surfaced — the couple were married for less than two months. On Monday‚ Cassidy Kraus pleaded guilty to one count of third-degree sexual abuse‚ two counts of lascivious acts with a child‚ and three counts of dissemination and exhibition of obscene materials to minors. If convicted on all of the child sex crime charges‚ she faces a maximum sentence of 33 years in prison.According to the criminal complaint‚ Kraus "knowingly disseminat[ed] obscene material" via Snapchat to one victim between January 2022 and May 2022. She is also accused of sending obscene materials to two other male students between January 2023 and June 2023‚ according to Carroll County criminal complaints obtained by Law &; Crime.Klaus allegedly committed lascivious acts against a 13-year-old.The Daily Mail reported‚ "Kraus then took the abuse a step further‚ 'fondling or touching' a 13-year-old in May 2022 and 'touching [her] genitals to any part of the body of the child.'"Authorities accused Kraus of sexually abusing a 14-year-old student by "performing sex acts" on him between Jan. 17‚ 2023‚ and Jan. 31‚ 2023.She was put on leave amid an investigation by the school district and local law enforcement.Kraus — who previously was employed by the IKM-Manning Community School District — resigned from her teaching job in August 2023‚ according to KCCI. As part of her duties as a teacher at the IKM-Manning Community School District‚ she was supposed to be a "mandatory reporter of child abuse‚" the complaint read. Kraus was arrested in October. Kraus had just gotten married on July 1‚ 2023. However‚ court documents show that her husband filed for divorce on Aug. 28‚ 2023. Kraus is scheduled to be sentenced on March 11.Like Blaze News? Circumvent the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Prosecutors said that a teenage girl showed no remorse after killing her friend over a dispute about sweet and sour sauce from a McDonald's fast food restaurant in Washington‚ D.C. The 16-year-old was convicted for stabbing Naima Liggon‚ also 16 years old‚ in August after a house party they had attended. On Thursday‚ she was given the maximum sentence allowed and will stay in custody until she turns 21 years old. Prosecutors said text messages she sent after the stabbing showed she had no remorse for her actions. They also said that surveillance video showed the girl could have simply walked back into the McDonald's for more sweet and sour sauce. The defense tried to argue that the girl acted only in self-defense because two people were trying to jump her. They also claimed that was had experienced past trauma and had been triggered in the lethal reaction. Naima’s mother‚ Joy Liggon‚ responded to those claims in an interview with WRC-TV outside the courtroom. “I don’t know what this young lady went through‚” she said. “I don’t know what her life experience was‚ but I know she committed a crime‚ and she took someone away from my family.” “That she called a friend‚” added Wallace Liggon‚ the father of the victim. The teenager issued a statement to the Liggons in court. “Sorry to the friends and family. I am sorry to cause you this pain‚" she said in part. "I still think about the victim and I want to apologize to Naima’s mother. I am a very genuine person and I’m not a bad person.”Joy Liggon went on to say that she was relieved the girl got the maximum sentence but added that it wasn't enough. She had asked for prosecutors to file a first-degree murder charge‚ but instead‚ they agreed to a plea deal with the girl for a lower charge. “You have to realize that your kids have free will and free choice to do what they want‚ so just keep encouraging them to do the right thing‚” she continued. “Walk away from conflict. Some things are just not that serious -- definitely sweet and sour sauce.” Here's more about the sentence: Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Darius Rucker‚ a well-known music figure who has had great success both in the rock band Hootie &; the Blowfish and as a solo country music artist‚ was arrested on Thursday in Tennessee."Darius Rucker is fully cooperating with authorities related to misdemeanor charges‚" attorney Mark Puryear noted in a statement‚ according to Fox News.The Post and Courier reported that the charges had been filed by the Franklin Police Department.Rucker got arrested on two counts of simple possession/casual exchange of a controlled substance as well as a single count of violating state vehicle registration law‚ People reported‚ citing the Williamson County Sheriff's Office.The celebrity‚ who is 57 years old‚ was released on $10‚500 bond‚ reports indicate. — (@) "Keith Urban‚ Brad Paisley — those are folks that did it right‚" Rucker has said‚ according to Variety. "I think the main goal of country music is to stay humble‚ and those guys did that. I'm 10 years older than both of them‚ but those are guys that I've patterned myself after. Tim McGraw has been relevant since the '90s‚ and not just relevant — a star‚ still putting out hits. Those are all good people‚ too‚ the sort of people that you want to call your friend.""If you don't have a song‚ the hard work and everything doesn't matter. At this point in my career‚ I just want to find the best songs‚ take my time‚ and make the records I want to make‚" Rucker said‚ according to the outlet.Rucker recently had the honor of getting a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

An elaborate gold-plated‚ wooden chest‚ the Ark of the Covenant is believed to hold the original Ten Commandments — but where is it? The post The Murky History Of The Ark Of The Covenant‚ The Most Sacred Relic Of The Ancient Israelites appeared first on All That's Interesting.

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