The proposed “Social Media Reporting and Protections from Criminal Activity” bill in Colorado’s state legislature represents a dangerous expansion of government surveillance that threatens our fundamental rights to privacy and security. Despite the goal of protecting kids online, this legislation would hand unprecedented power to law enforcement to monitor and collect our private online activities.

The bill’s requirements are particularly threatening to our most vulnerable community members. Social media platforms would be forced to create comprehensive databases of user activity and share them with law enforcement within arbitrary timelines. This isn’t hypothetical — we are seeing in real time  since President Donald Trump was sworn in how surveillance powers, disguised as public safety efforts, are routinely used to target marginalized communities.

Let’s be clear about the real-world implications. Picture this: you’re a Dreamer seeking information about your citizenship status online, or a woman researching reproductive health care options. Would you feel safe conducting these searches knowing law enforcement could access detailed records of your online activity? We’ve already seen prosecutors in states with abortion bans using private messages and search histories to build cases against women seeking health care. This bill would make such intrusive surveillance even easier.

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The timing couldn’t be more dangerous. With Trump back in office — the same person who promised to weaponize federal agencies against his political opponents and bragged about overturning Roe — this bill would create a ready-made surveillance infrastructure that could be exploited by federal authorities. And though Colorado may have responsible leadership today, what happens if an extreme right-wing governor takes office tomorrow?

The mandatory reporting requirements would force platforms to become de facto government surveillance tools. With such severe penalties and strict timelines, platforms would likely remove any content that could potentially be questioned rather than risk non-compliance. This over-moderation could be devastating — imagine platforms taking down information about gender-affirming care or LGBTQ+ health resources out of fear they might violate some state law somewhere. The risks to our communities are simply too high.

We understand the desire to make online spaces safer, but this bill would do the opposite — creating an environment of fear where nobody feels safe expressing themselves or seeking help online. Our communities need protection from government overreach, not expansion of surveillance powers that could be weaponized against us.

Last year, a coalition of progressive organizations helped defeat a piece of well-intentioned but harmful legislation containing all of the provisions in this bill. The Working Families Party strongly opposes this dangerous legislation again. We call on our state legislators to reject this bill and any other attempts to expand government surveillance of our online activities. The privacy and safety of Colorado’s families depend on it.”

Wynn Howell is state director of the Colorado Working Family Party.