Congress is considering bills to protect kids online. Some of what’s in those bills could help, but some elements could be harmful.

The online safety bill contains measures that appear to compel messaging services to break encryption.

Twitter and Meta are looking to make money from protecting users’ identities. This raises questions about collective security, people understanding what they’re paying for and who remains vulnerable.

Cookie notifications remind people that they are being tracked, which affects how people behave online.

Manufacturers will increasingly track the products they sell to make recycling them more profitable.

Differential privacy lets people to share data anonymously, but people need to know more about it to make informed decisions.

A digital ID will only work if people are allowed to keep control of their data.

Self-regulation by the technology industry has failed to keep people safe online. That's a job for government.

Private mode browsing is a useful way to cover your online tracks. Just don't read too much into the word 'private.'

Zoom's privacy and security shortcomings are just the latest videoconferencing vulnerabilities. Knowing each platform's risks can help people avoid many of the downsides of virtual gatherings.