If you were one of few pinning your hopes for Senator Elizabeth Warren to have your back as a user of the free internet – the latest legislative efforts she has been heavily backed might just burst your bubble.

The same goes for those who had the same hopes regarding the activities of Senator Josh Hawley. These two – a prominent Democrat, and a Republican of the same stature – have thrown their weight behind what’s known as the Kids Online Safety Act [PDF].

Online age verification through digital ID is one of its proposed provisions – a topic, and practice, at this point historically burdened with controversies regarding endangering internet users’ privacy and safety, while cynically asserting to be “solving” just the very problem.