Stop Killing Games has teamed up with global rights respecting organisations, including Open Rights Group, to form Stop Killing the Internet, a global movement defending the open Internet. A livestream of the launch is available here.

What is Stop Killing the Internet?

Stop Killing the Internet is an international campaign defending the open internet against policies and practices that impose surveillance, exclusion and excessive centralised control in the name of online safety. The campaign supports rights-respecting approaches to child protection, privacy, democratic accountability and platform responsibility. 

The global movement brings together different groups impacted by new restrictions come together to defend the open web, and promote alternative rights-respecting policies to tackle online harms. 

It was formed following a meeting where campaigners heard how proposals such as social media bans, scanning of devices or additional surveillance were accelerating and spreading around the globe. There was widespread feeling that a global threat required a global response, and that the UK’s announcement of prohibition and device scanning required an immediate response. 

At that meeting, a young person who would be directly affected by proposed restrictions on internet access, described how those restrictions would make it harder to access educational videos online, or connect with friends, and socialise while playing games. 

Go to: www.stopkillingtheinternet.org for a statement of the threats facing the open internet and calls for rights-respecting, community-led solutions to online harm. Members of the public and organisations can sign up here and there will be a further public launch on 27 June 2026.

UK social media ban


The launch of the movement comes as a petition not to ban social media on the UK Government website broke through the 100,000 signatures required to trigger a debate in parliament.

Quotes

Moritz Katzner, Director of Stop Killing Games, said:

“The internet is a place of education, games, friendship, culture, work and public debate. Like any town hall, it can become ugly. But we would never respond by shutting down the town hall. We would never demand identity papers at the door.”

“We are building a global movement, if you believe in building a better internet and fighting for a global connected Internet then join us.”

James Baker, Programme Manager at Open Rights Group, said: 


“Stop Killing the Internet will bring together internet users, parents, families, young people, experts,  content creators and campaigners. Open Rights Group encourages people around the world who want a human-rights based approach to tackling harm to join this movement.

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“The movement will challenge divisive policies that prescribe the wrong medicine of exclusion, surveillance and control to tackle online harms. It will champion positive rights-respecting alternatives, and promote the work campaigns are doing around the world.”

Jemimah Steinfeld, Chief Executive of Index on Censorship said:

“For decades now we’ve worked with people navigating the harshest online environments around the world and we’ve seen the impact on their free expression. An open internet is not a nice to have, it’s an essential part of democratic participation. That’s why autocrats try to control it.” 

“Today, sadly we are seeing threats to this space in the very countries where we thought openness was guaranteed. Even if the reasons are different, which they undoubtedly are, the results could be equally damaging. With proposals to block children in the U.K. from many platforms, limiting their right to free expression, both in terms of sharing and receiving information, now is therefore the time to act – decisively and boldly – to protect this sacred space.”

Silkie Carlo, Director of Big Brother Watch, said:

“There is a disturbing push by Five Eyes governments and Europe towards new laws that strangle the public’s access to the open internet with identity checkpoints and information chokeholds. The situation is particularly bad in the UK, where the Government is forcing companies to child-lock our smart phones and demand ID checks both for operating systems and social media.

“We’re proud to be part of a movement of technology, human rights and children’s policy experts that speaks for people in completely opposing this dangerous lurch towards a surveillance society. We all want children to be safe online, but these policies create new safety and privacy risks for young people and entire adult populations alike. Far from reining Big Tech in, age-gate policies gift corporations masses more of our personal information whilst letting them off the hook for their design choices. An attack on our rights online is an attack on the future of our democracy, and people around the world are uniting to stop it.”

Jen Persson, from Defend Digital Me, said:

“Children asked for safer platforms, not to be locked out. On a policy made in their name, they have not been heard.”

“When ban fails to keep children off platforms, we must demand politicians prioritise global expertise above populist appeasement. Rights’ respecting policies can bring the positive change they want to see, but only if they avoid more authoritarian moves.”

Phil Booth, National Coordinator of NO2ID, said: 

“3 million said no to digital ID, and the government ignored us. The day after announcing its social media ban, hundreds of thousands have signed a petition [3] against that. Here in the UK and around the world a movement is forming – NO2ID supports their demand: Stop Killing the Internet.”

Matthew Cassells, Founder, Project Lead and Director of Alderon Games [2], said: 

“To verify age, someone has to collect proof of age: a government ID, a face scan, a credit record. That data has to be transmitted, processed, and often stored. Every one of those steps is a new opportunity for catastrophic failure and the failures are not hypothetical.

The cruel irony is that children are among the most valuable targets for identity theft, precisely because a stolen child’s identity can go unnoticed for years. A law that forces millions of families to upload identity documents to comply does not reduce risk to children. It multiplies it.”

Notes

Stop Killing the Internet is launching with support from digital rights organisations including NO2ID, Open Rights Group, Big Brother Watch, Defend Digital Me, Progressive Voice, RWS, Stop Killing Games and civil society partners around the world. A full list of supporting organisations will be published when the public campaign formally launches in 13 days.

[1] Stop Killing Games
 is a campaign opposing the destruction or disabling of purchased video games and advocating for consumer rights, preservation and accountability in the games industry. 1.4M people have signed petitions supporting the campaigns objectives.

[2] Alderton Games Alderon Games is an independent studio based in Australia and Canada. Their flagship title, Path of Titans, is a cross platform dinosaur survival MMO that connects players across PC, console, and mobile, with up to 200 players per server, live in-game chat, and a modding and user generated content system.