Consumer Rights Wiki - User contributions [en]

Casey Stefanski

2026-03-08T19:09:54Z

MoonMoon: citation added

[[File:Casey-headshot-2-1-796x1024.jpg|alt=Casey Stefanski|thumb| Casey Stefanski ]]

Casey Stefanski is an American child safety advocate and the Executive Director of the [[Digital Childhood Alliance]], a 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization founded in 2025. She is a mother of three and a retired collegiate athlete who has worked in child safety advocacy since 2012.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Digital Childhood Alliance |date=April 14, 2025 |title=Meet Digital Childhood Alliance Executive Director: Casey Stefanski. |url=https://www.digitalchildhoodalliance.org/meet-digital-childhood-alliance-executive-director-casey-stefanski/ |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/ctSaM |archive-date=March 8, 2026}}</ref>

Stefanski earned a degree in public policy and economics from the University of Chicago and has Capitol Hill experience working on policy issues. She is based in Atlanta, Georgia, with her family.<ref name=":0" />

==Career==

===National Center on Sexual Exploitation (2012–2025)===
Prior to her current role, Stefanski spent over a decade at the National Center on Sexual Exploitation (NCOSE), an organization focused on combating sexual exploitation. She held multiple positions, including Director of Development, Deputy Executive Director, and Senior Director of Global Partnerships and Events.<ref name=":0" />

In her most prominent role, Stefanski helped establish and develop the Coalition to End Sexual Exploitation (CESE) Global Summit, which brought together organizations and advocates working against sexual exploitation worldwide. Under her leadership, the coalition grew to more than 600 member organizations.<ref name=":0" />

She was credited with helping NCOSE expand its grassroots advocacy and policy initiatives, and worked on corporate engagement to shift company policies regarding exploitation issues.<ref name=":0" />

===Digital Childhood Alliance (2025–present)===
In April 2025, Stefanski became Executive Director of the newly founded [[Digital Childhood Alliance]]. The organization, formed as a 501(c)(4) nonprofit coalition, comprises more than 50 child advocacy organizations focused on making technology safer for children and empowering parents.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Digital Childhood Alliance |title=Our Team. |url=https://www.digitalchildhoodalliance.org/our-team/}}</ref>

The Digital Childhood Alliance's primary legislative focus is the App Store Accountability Act (ASAA), which would require app stores to verify users' ages and obtain parental approval before minors can download apps or make purchases.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Digital Childhood Alliance |title=App Store Accountability Act. |url=https://www.digitalchildhoodalliance.org/asaabill/}}</ref>

According to Stefanski, the ASAA aims to ensure compliance with COPPA (Children's Online Privacy Protection Act) and protect children from access to inappropriate content and applications.<ref name=":1" />

==Controversy==

===Tech Company Funding Disclosure (May 2025)===
<div class="controversy-box">
<strong>⚠️ Funding Transparency Issue:</strong> In May 2025, Stefanski faced scrutiny over undisclosed tech company funding after refusing to answer direct questions about the organization's donors.
</div>

During testimony before the Louisiana State Senate Finance Committee on May 29, 2025, Louisiana Senator Jay Morris directly asked Stefanski, "Are you funded by tech companies?" Stefanski initially deflected and claimed she felt uncomfortable answering the question. When pressed for a direct yes-or-no answer, she eventually acknowledged that the Digital Childhood Alliance receives funding from tech companies but refused to identify which ones.<ref name=":2">{{Cite news |last=McKendry |first=Nolan |date=May 29, 2025 |title=Senator presses Digital Childhood Alliance on tech industry ties |url=https://www.thecentersquare.com/louisiana/article_e97200f8-13d0-4b1f-90a9-e9a7093d329f.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250530051109/https://www.thecentersquare.com/louisiana/article_e97200f8-13d0-4b1f-90a9-e9a7093d329f.html |archive-date=May 30, 2025 |work=Louisiana}}</ref><blockquote>"Are you funded by tech companies?" Morris asked. Stefanski "squirmed, deflected and claimed she 'didn't feel comfortable' answering." When Morris pressed for a simple yes or no answer, Stefanski eventually admitted they receive tech company funding but flatly refused to name which companies.</blockquote>When Senator Morris asked, "So, you're not going to tell us who's actually supporting it?" Stefanski declined to provide specifics beyond naming the father of the Digital Childhood Alliance's founder as the organization's largest individual donor.<ref name=":2" />

===Meta Funding Exposed (December 2025)===
In December 2025, investigative reporting revealed that [[Meta]] (parent company of Facebook and Instagram) is a significant funder of the Digital Childhood Alliance—information that Stefanski had declined to disclose during her May 2025 legislative testimony.<ref name=":3">{{Cite news |last=Lenney |first=Brian |date=December 8, 2025 |title=Meta's manipulation disguised as child safety. |url=https://www.deseret.com/opinion/2025/12/07/child-safety-bill-backed-by-meta/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260215163841/https://www.deseret.com/opinion/2025/12/07/child-safety-bill-backed-by-meta/ |archive-date=February 15, 2026 |work=Deseret News}}</ref>

According to reporting, Meta also acknowledged having "collaborated with [[Digital Childhood Alliance]]."<ref name=":3" /> Multiple sources, including Insurance Journal, documented that Meta is helping fund the organization.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Birnbaum |first=Emily |date=July 25, 2025 |title=Meta Clashes With Apple, Google Over Child Age Check Legislation. |url=https://www.insurancejournal.com/news/national/2025/07/25/833246.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250925014626/https://www.insurancejournal.com/news/national/2025/07/25/833246.htm |archive-date=September 25, 2025 |work=Insurance Journal}}</ref>

===Conflict of Interest Allegations===
Critics have raised concerns about a potential conflict of interest, arguing that Stefanski's organization is advocating for policies that directly benefit its largest funder, Meta, while claiming to represent independent child safety advocacy.<ref name=":3" />

The concern centers on the [[App Store Accountability Act]], which would require comprehensive age verification systems at app stores. Critics argue that such systems disproportionately burden Meta's smaller competitors while benefiting Meta, which already has extensive verification and data collection infrastructure.<ref name=":3" /><blockquote>The organization claiming to represent concerned parents is quietly funded by Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram. The same company whose own internal research proved its platforms devastate teenage girls' mental health is now bankrolling campaigns that blame everyone except itself.</blockquote>Critics contend that the ASAA "accomplishes nothing except creating expensive verification systems that [[Meta]]'s competitors must build and pay for."<ref name=":3" />

===501(c)(4) Status and Regulatory Structure===
The [[Digital Childhood Alliance]]'s organization as a 501(c)(4) nonprofit allows it to engage in unlimited political advocacy and lobbying while not being required to publicly disclose its donors.<ref name=":2" /> This legal structure explains why Stefanski was able to decline answering questions about her organization's funding sources during legislative testimony.

==Public Statements and Positioning==
Stefanski has stated that parental controls and existing tools are insufficient to protect children online, arguing that technology companies currently treat 13-year-olds as adults on their platforms. She has advocated for raising the age of digital accountability to 16.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Sumlin |first=Hayden |date=November 10, 2025 |title=Legislator workshops legislation to keep kids safe online. |url=https://www.appenmedia.com/news/legislator-workshops-legislation-to-keep-kids-safe-online/article_553c0a56-2c27-406d-9add-37515a317321.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20251203020527/https://www.appenmedia.com/news/legislator-workshops-legislation-to-keep-kids-safe-online/article_553c0a56-2c27-406d-9add-37515a317321.html |archive-date=December 3, 2025 |work=appenmedia.com}}</ref>

Regarding app stores specifically, Stefanski has characterized them as "digital gatekeepers of our children's lives" that "control what gets through, but until now, they've had zero accountability."<ref>{{Cite news |last=Stokel-Walker |first=Chris |date=Jan 12, 2026 |title=The Drive For Age Assurance Is Turning App Stores Into Childhood Regulators |url=https://www.techpolicy.press/the-drive-for-age-assurance-is-turning-app-stores-into-childhood-regulators/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260219164225/https://www.techpolicy.press/the-drive-for-age-assurance-is-turning-app-stores-into-childhood-regulators/ |archive-date=February 19, 2026 |work=www.techpolicy.press}}</ref>

==References==

[[Category:Individuals]]
<references />

Digital Childhood Alliance

2026-03-08T16:35:50Z

MoonMoon:

The Digital Childhood Alliance is a nonprofit 501(c)(4) organization that operates as a coalition of child safety advocacy groups.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |last=Lenney |first=Brian |date=Dec 7, 2025 |title=Opinion: The ‘child safety’ bill that’s actually protecting Meta |url=https://www.deseret.com/opinion/2025/12/07/child-safety-bill-backed-by-meta/}}</ref> The coalition includes more than 50 child advocacy groups, including prominent conservative organizations such as the Institute for Family Studies, the National Center on Sexual Exploitation, and the Heritage Foundation.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Watson |first=Eric |date=February 28, 2025 |title=Over 50 conservative groups form Digital Childhood Alliance to push for child safety online |url=https://pixelkin.org/2025/02/28/over-50-conservative-groups-form-digital-childhood-alliance-to-push-for-child-safety-online/ |url-status=live}}</ref>
==Funding and transparency==
The Digital Childhood Alliance has received funding from [[Meta]], according to reporting by multiple sources.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Birnbaum |first=Emily |date=July 25, 2025 |title=Meta Clashes With Apple, Google Over Child Age Check Legislation |url=https://www.insurancejournal.com/news/national/2025/07/25/833246.htm |url-status=live}}</ref> Meta is also collaborating with the organization, which leads advocacy efforts for app store identity verification (a.k.a [[age verification]]) legislation.

[[Casey Stefanski]], the executive director of the Digital Childhood Alliance, testified before the Louisiana State Senate that the organization receives funding from tech companies, including [[Meta]], but initially declined to provide specifics about which companies fund the organization. [[Casey Stefanski|Stefanski]] confirmed that she "didn't feel comfortable" answering direct questions about tech company funding initially. When pressed for a yes-or-no answer about whether tech companies provide funding, she eventually confirmed they do but refused to name them. The organization is registered as a 501(c)(4) nonprofit, a classification that allows for political advocacy without requiring disclosure of donors.<ref>{{Cite news |date=May 29, 2025 |title=Senator presses Digital Childhood Alliance on tech industry ties |url=https://www.thecentersquare.com/louisiana/article_e97200f8-13d0-4b1f-90a9-e9a7093d329f.html}}</ref>

==App Store Accountability Act advocacy==
The Digital Childhood Alliance is a coalition of conservative groups leading efforts to pass app store age verification legislation. The organization's primary legislative focus is the [[App Store Accountability Act]], which would require age verification at the point of app store access. The organization's official materials state that the App Store Accountability Act "has garnered support from leading child safety organizations, including the National Center on Sexual Exploitation and the Institute for Family Studies, as well as major tech companies like Meta."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Digital Childhood Alliance. |first= |title=App Store Accountability Act FAQ. |url=https://www.digitalchildhoodalliance.org/faq/}}</ref>

==Regulatory complaints==
The alliance has filed complaints with the [[Federal Trade Commission]] against [[Apple]] and [[Google]] regarding app store practices.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Kaminski |first=Anna |date=March 5, 2026 |title=Tech companies vie for influence over Kansas app store age verification legislation |url=https://kansasreflector.com/2026/03/05/tech-companies-vie-for-influence-over-kansas-app-store-age-verification-legislation/ |url-status=live}}</ref>

==Public scrutiny==
In December 2025, investigative reporting exposed the Meta funding relationship that [[Casey Stefanski|Stefanski]] had declined to disclose publicly during legislative testimony.<ref name=":0" /> Critics have argued that the funding arrangement creates a conflict of interest, as the organization advocates for policies that benefit Meta while preventing accountability for [[Meta]]'s own platform practices regarding minors.

==References==
<references />
==External Links==
• Digital Childhood Alliance official website - [https://www.digitalchildhoodalliance.org/]

Casey Stefanski

2026-03-08T16:33:47Z

MoonMoon:

[[File:Casey-headshot-2-1-796x1024.jpg|alt=Casey Stefanski|thumb| Casey Stefanski ]]

Casey Stefanski is an American child safety advocate and the Executive Director of the [[Digital Childhood Alliance]], a 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization founded in 2025. She is a mother of three and a retired collegiate athlete who has worked in child safety advocacy since 2012.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Digital Childhood Alliance |date=April 14, 2025 |title=Meet Digital Childhood Alliance Executive Director: Casey Stefanski. |url=https://www.digitalchildhoodalliance.org/meet-digital-childhood-alliance-executive-director-casey-stefanski/}}</ref>

Stefanski earned a degree in public policy and economics from the University of Chicago and has Capitol Hill experience working on policy issues. She is based in Atlanta, Georgia, with her family.<ref name=":0" />

==Career==

===National Center on Sexual Exploitation (2012–2025)===
Prior to her current role, Stefanski spent over a decade at the National Center on Sexual Exploitation (NCOSE), an organization focused on combating sexual exploitation. She held multiple positions, including Director of Development, Deputy Executive Director, and Senior Director of Global Partnerships and Events.<ref name=":0" />

In her most prominent role, Stefanski helped establish and develop the Coalition to End Sexual Exploitation (CESE) Global Summit, which brought together organizations and advocates working against sexual exploitation worldwide. Under her leadership, the coalition grew to more than 600 member organizations.<ref name=":0" />

She was credited with helping NCOSE expand its grassroots advocacy and policy initiatives, and worked on corporate engagement to shift company policies regarding exploitation issues.<ref name=":0" />

===Digital Childhood Alliance (2025–present)===
In April 2025, Stefanski became Executive Director of the newly founded [[Digital Childhood Alliance]]. The organization, formed as a 501(c)(4) nonprofit coalition, comprises more than 50 child advocacy organizations focused on making technology safer for children and empowering parents.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Digital Childhood Alliance |title=Our Team. |url=https://www.digitalchildhoodalliance.org/our-team/}}</ref>

The Digital Childhood Alliance's primary legislative focus is the App Store Accountability Act (ASAA), which would require app stores to verify users' ages and obtain parental approval before minors can download apps or make purchases.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Digital Childhood Alliance |title=App Store Accountability Act. |url=https://www.digitalchildhoodalliance.org/asaabill/}}</ref>

According to Stefanski, the ASAA aims to ensure compliance with COPPA (Children's Online Privacy Protection Act) and protect children from access to inappropriate content and applications.<ref name=":1" />

==Controversy==

===Tech Company Funding Disclosure (May 2025)===
<div class="controversy-box">
<strong>⚠️ Funding Transparency Issue:</strong> In May 2025, Stefanski faced scrutiny over undisclosed tech company funding after refusing to answer direct questions about the organization's donors.
</div>

During testimony before the Louisiana State Senate Finance Committee on May 29, 2025, Louisiana Senator Jay Morris directly asked Stefanski, "Are you funded by tech companies?" Stefanski initially deflected and claimed she felt uncomfortable answering the question. When pressed for a direct yes-or-no answer, she eventually acknowledged that the Digital Childhood Alliance receives funding from tech companies but refused to identify which ones.<ref name=":2">{{Cite news |last=McKendry |first=Nolan |date=May 29, 2025 |title=Senator presses Digital Childhood Alliance on tech industry ties |url=https://www.thecentersquare.com/louisiana/article_e97200f8-13d0-4b1f-90a9-e9a7093d329f.html}}</ref><blockquote>"Are you funded by tech companies?" Morris asked. Stefanski "squirmed, deflected and claimed she 'didn't feel comfortable' answering." When Morris pressed for a simple yes or no answer, Stefanski eventually admitted they receive tech company funding but flatly refused to name which companies.</blockquote>When Senator Morris asked, "So, you're not going to tell us who's actually supporting it?" Stefanski declined to provide specifics beyond naming the father of the Digital Childhood Alliance's founder as the organization's largest individual donor.<ref name=":2" />

===Meta Funding Exposed (December 2025)===
In December 2025, investigative reporting revealed that [[Meta]] (parent company of Facebook and Instagram) is a significant funder of the Digital Childhood Alliance—information that Stefanski had declined to disclose during her May 2025 legislative testimony.<ref name=":3">{{Cite news |last=Lenney |first=Brian |date=December 8, 2025 |title=Meta's manipulation disguised as child safety. |url=https://www.deseret.com/opinion/2025/12/07/child-safety-bill-backed-by-meta/}}</ref>

According to reporting, Meta also acknowledged having "collaborated with [[Digital Childhood Alliance]]."[5] Multiple sources, including Insurance Journal, documented that Meta is helping fund the organization.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Birnbaum |first=Emily |date=July 25, 2025 |title=Meta Clashes With Apple, Google Over Child Age Check Legislation. |url=https://www.insurancejournal.com/news/national/2025/07/25/833246.htm}}</ref>

===Conflict of Interest Allegations===
Critics have raised concerns about a potential conflict of interest, arguing that Stefanski's organization is advocating for policies that directly benefit its largest funder, Meta, while claiming to represent independent child safety advocacy.<ref name=":3" />

The concern centers on the [[App Store Accountability Act]], which would require comprehensive age verification systems at app stores. Critics argue that such systems disproportionately burden Meta's smaller competitors while benefiting Meta, which already has extensive verification and data collection infrastructure.<ref name=":3" /><blockquote>The organization claiming to represent concerned parents is quietly funded by Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram. The same company whose own internal research proved its platforms devastate teenage girls' mental health is now bankrolling campaigns that blame everyone except itself.</blockquote>Critics contend that the ASAA "accomplishes nothing except creating expensive verification systems that [[Meta]]'s competitors must build and pay for."<ref name=":3" />

===501(c)(4) Status and Regulatory Structure===
The [[Digital Childhood Alliance]]'s organization as a 501(c)(4) nonprofit allows it to engage in unlimited political advocacy and lobbying while not being required to publicly disclose its donors.<ref name=":2" /> This legal structure explains why Stefanski was able to decline answering questions about her organization's funding sources during legislative testimony.

==Public Statements and Positioning==
Stefanski has stated that parental controls and existing tools are insufficient to protect children online, arguing that technology companies currently treat 13-year-olds as adults on their platforms. She has advocated for raising the age of digital accountability to 16.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Appenmedia.com. |date=November 10, 2025 |title=Legislator workshops legislation to keep kids safe online. |url=https://www.appenmedia.com/news/legislator-workshops-legislation-to-keep-kids-safe-online/article_553c0a56-2c27-406d-9add-37515a317321.html}}</ref>

Regarding app stores specifically, Stefanski has characterized them as "digital gatekeepers of our children's lives" that "control what gets through, but until now, they've had zero accountability."<ref>{{Cite news |last=Stokel-Walker |first=Chris |date=Jan 12, 2026 |title=The Drive For Age Assurance Is Turning App Stores Into Childhood Regulators |url=https://www.techpolicy.press/the-drive-for-age-assurance-is-turning-app-stores-into-childhood-regulators/}}</ref>

==References==
<references />

Casey Stefanski

2026-03-08T16:31:35Z

MoonMoon: Fixed formatting

[[File:Casey-headshot-2-1-796x1024.jpg|alt=Casey Stefanski|thumb| Casey Stefanski ]]

Casey Stefanski is an American child safety advocate and the Executive Director of the Digital Childhood Alliance, a 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization founded in 2025. She is a mother of three and a retired collegiate athlete who has worked in child safety advocacy since 2012.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Digital Childhood Alliance |date=April 14, 2025 |title=Meet Digital Childhood Alliance Executive Director: Casey Stefanski. |url=https://www.digitalchildhoodalliance.org/meet-digital-childhood-alliance-executive-director-casey-stefanski/}}</ref>

Stefanski earned a degree in public policy and economics from the University of Chicago and has Capitol Hill experience working on policy issues. She is based in Atlanta, Georgia, with her family.<ref name=":0" />

==Career==

===National Center on Sexual Exploitation (2012–2025)===
Prior to her current role, Stefanski spent over a decade at the National Center on Sexual Exploitation (NCOSE), an organization focused on combating sexual exploitation. She held multiple positions, including Director of Development, Deputy Executive Director, and Senior Director of Global Partnerships and Events.<ref name=":0" />

In her most prominent role, Stefanski helped establish and develop the Coalition to End Sexual Exploitation (CESE) Global Summit, which brought together organizations and advocates working against sexual exploitation worldwide. Under her leadership, the coalition grew to more than 600 member organizations.<ref name=":0" />

She was credited with helping NCOSE expand its grassroots advocacy and policy initiatives, and worked on corporate engagement to shift company policies regarding exploitation issues.<ref name=":0" />

===Digital Childhood Alliance (2025–present)===
In April 2025, Stefanski became Executive Director of the newly founded Digital Childhood Alliance. The organization, formed as a 501(c)(4) nonprofit coalition, comprises more than 50 child advocacy organizations focused on making technology safer for children and empowering parents.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Digital Childhood Alliance |title=Our Team. |url=https://www.digitalchildhoodalliance.org/our-team/}}</ref>

The Digital Childhood Alliance's primary legislative focus is the App Store Accountability Act (ASAA), which would require app stores to verify users' ages and obtain parental approval before minors can download apps or make purchases.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Digital Childhood Alliance |title=App Store Accountability Act. |url=https://www.digitalchildhoodalliance.org/asaabill/}}</ref>

According to Stefanski, the ASAA aims to ensure compliance with COPPA (Children's Online Privacy Protection Act) and protect children from access to inappropriate content and applications.<ref name=":1" />

==Controversy==

===Tech Company Funding Disclosure (May 2025)===
<div class="controversy-box">
<strong>⚠️ Funding Transparency Issue:</strong> In May 2025, Stefanski faced scrutiny over undisclosed tech company funding after refusing to answer direct questions about the organization's donors.
</div>

During testimony before the Louisiana State Senate Finance Committee on May 29, 2025, Louisiana Senator Jay Morris directly asked Stefanski, "Are you funded by tech companies?" Stefanski initially deflected and claimed she felt uncomfortable answering the question. When pressed for a direct yes-or-no answer, she eventually acknowledged that the Digital Childhood Alliance receives funding from tech companies but refused to identify which ones.<ref name=":2">{{Cite news |last=McKendry |first=Nolan |date=May 29, 2025 |title=Senator presses Digital Childhood Alliance on tech industry ties |url=https://www.thecentersquare.com/louisiana/article_e97200f8-13d0-4b1f-90a9-e9a7093d329f.html}}</ref><blockquote>"Are you funded by tech companies?" Morris asked. Stefanski "squirmed, deflected and claimed she 'didn't feel comfortable' answering." When Morris pressed for a simple yes or no answer, Stefanski eventually admitted they receive tech company funding but flatly refused to name which companies.</blockquote>When Senator Morris asked, "So, you're not going to tell us who's actually supporting it?" Stefanski declined to provide specifics beyond naming the father of the Digital Childhood Alliance's founder as the organization's largest individual donor.<ref name=":2" />

===Meta Funding Exposed (December 2025)===
In December 2025, investigative reporting revealed that Meta Platforms (parent company of Facebook and Instagram) is a significant funder of the Digital Childhood Alliance—information that Stefanski had declined to disclose during her May 2025 legislative testimony.<ref name=":3">{{Cite news |last=Lenney |first=Brian |date=December 8, 2025 |title=Meta's manipulation disguised as child safety. |url=https://www.deseret.com/opinion/2025/12/07/child-safety-bill-backed-by-meta/}}</ref>

According to reporting, Meta also acknowledged having "collaborated with Digital Childhood Alliance."[5] Multiple sources, including Insurance Journal, documented that Meta is helping fund the organization.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Birnbaum |first=Emily |date=July 25, 2025 |title=Meta Clashes With Apple, Google Over Child Age Check Legislation. |url=https://www.insurancejournal.com/news/national/2025/07/25/833246.htm}}</ref>

===Conflict of Interest Allegations===
Critics have raised concerns about a potential conflict of interest, arguing that Stefanski's organization is advocating for policies that directly benefit its largest funder, Meta, while claiming to represent independent child safety advocacy.<ref name=":3" />

The concern centers on the App Store Accountability Act, which would require comprehensive age verification systems at app stores. Critics argue that such systems disproportionately burden Meta's smaller competitors while benefiting Meta, which already has extensive verification and data collection infrastructure.<ref name=":3" /><blockquote>The organization claiming to represent concerned parents is quietly funded by Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram. The same company whose own internal research proved its platforms devastate teenage girls' mental health is now bankrolling campaigns that blame everyone except itself.</blockquote>Critics contend that the ASAA "accomplishes nothing except creating expensive verification systems that Meta's competitors must build and pay for."<ref name=":3" />

===501(c)(4) Status and Regulatory Structure===
The Digital Childhood Alliance's organization as a 501(c)(4) nonprofit allows it to engage in unlimited political advocacy and lobbying while not being required to publicly disclose its donors.<ref name=":2" /> This legal structure explains why Stefanski was able to decline answering questions about her organization's funding sources during legislative testimony.

==Public Statements and Positioning==
Stefanski has stated that parental controls and existing tools are insufficient to protect children online, arguing that technology companies currently treat 13-year-olds as adults on their platforms. She has advocated for raising the age of digital accountability to 16.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Appenmedia.com. |date=November 10, 2025 |title=Legislator workshops legislation to keep kids safe online. |url=https://www.appenmedia.com/news/legislator-workshops-legislation-to-keep-kids-safe-online/article_553c0a56-2c27-406d-9add-37515a317321.html}}</ref>

Regarding app stores specifically, Stefanski has characterized them as "digital gatekeepers of our children's lives" that "control what gets through, but until now, they've had zero accountability."<ref>{{Cite news |last=Stokel-Walker |first=Chris |date=Jan 12, 2026 |title=The Drive For Age Assurance Is Turning App Stores Into Childhood Regulators |url=https://www.techpolicy.press/the-drive-for-age-assurance-is-turning-app-stores-into-childhood-regulators/}}</ref>

==References==
<references />

Casey Stefanski

2026-03-08T16:18:28Z

MoonMoon: Made article

[[File:Casey-headshot-2-1-796x1024.jpg|alt=Casey Stefanski|thumb|Casey Stefanski]]
Casey Stefanski is an American child safety advocate and the Executive Director of the Digital Childhood Alliance, a 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization founded in 2025. She is a mother of three and a retired collegiate athlete who has worked in child safety advocacy since 2012.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Digital Childhood Alliance |date=April 14, 2025 |title=Meet Digital Childhood Alliance Executive Director: Casey Stefanski. |url=https://www.digitalchildhoodalliance.org/meet-digital-childhood-alliance-executive-director-casey-stefanski/}}</ref>

Stefanski earned a degree in public policy and economics from the University of Chicago and has Capitol Hill experience working on policy issues. She is based in Atlanta, Georgia, with her family.<ref name=":0" />

==Career==

===National Center on Sexual Exploitation (2012–2025)===
Prior to her current role, Stefanski spent over a decade at the National Center on Sexual Exploitation (NCOSE), an organization focused on combating sexual exploitation. She held multiple positions, including Director of Development, Deputy Executive Director, and Senior Director of Global Partnerships and Events.<ref name=":0" />

In her most prominent role, Stefanski helped establish and develop the Coalition to End Sexual Exploitation (CESE) Global Summit, which brought together organizations and advocates working against sexual exploitation worldwide. Under her leadership, the coalition grew to more than 600 member organizations.<ref name=":0" />

She was credited with helping NCOSE expand its grassroots advocacy and policy initiatives, and worked on corporate engagement to shift company policies regarding exploitation issues.<ref name=":0" />

===Digital Childhood Alliance (2025–present)===
In April 2025, Stefanski became Executive Director of the newly founded Digital Childhood Alliance. The organization, formed as a 501(c)(4) nonprofit coalition, comprises more than 50 child advocacy organizations focused on making technology safer for children and empowering parents.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Digital Childhood Alliance |title=Our Team. |url=https://www.digitalchildhoodalliance.org/our-team/}}</ref>

The Digital Childhood Alliance's primary legislative focus is the App Store Accountability Act (ASAA), which would require app stores to verify users' ages and obtain parental approval before minors can download apps or make purchases.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Digital Childhood Alliance |title=App Store Accountability Act. |url=https://www.digitalchildhoodalliance.org/asaabill/}}</ref>

According to Stefanski, the ASAA aims to ensure compliance with COPPA (Children's Online Privacy Protection Act) and protect children from access to inappropriate content and applications.<ref name=":1" />

==Controversy==

===Tech Company Funding Disclosure (May 2025)===
<div class="controversy-box">
<strong>⚠️ Funding Transparency Issue:</strong> In May 2025, Stefanski faced scrutiny over undisclosed tech company funding after refusing to answer direct questions about the organization's donors.
</div>

During testimony before the Louisiana State Senate Finance Committee on May 29, 2025, Louisiana Senator Jay Morris directly asked Stefanski, "Are you funded by tech companies?" Stefanski initially deflected and claimed she felt uncomfortable answering the question. When pressed for a direct yes-or-no answer, she eventually acknowledged that the Digital Childhood Alliance receives funding from tech companies but refused to identify which ones.<ref name=":2">{{Cite news |last=McKendry |first=Nolan |date=May 29, 2025 |title=Senator presses Digital Childhood Alliance on tech industry ties |url=https://www.thecentersquare.com/louisiana/article_e97200f8-13d0-4b1f-90a9-e9a7093d329f.html}}</ref><blockquote>"Are you funded by tech companies?" Morris asked. Stefanski "squirmed, deflected and claimed she 'didn't feel comfortable' answering." When Morris pressed for a simple yes or no answer, Stefanski eventually admitted they receive tech company funding but flatly refused to name which companies.</blockquote>When Senator Morris asked, "So, you're not going to tell us who's actually supporting it?" Stefanski declined to provide specifics beyond naming the father of the Digital Childhood Alliance's founder as the organization's largest individual donor.<ref name=":2" />

===Meta Funding Exposed (December 2025)===
In December 2025, investigative reporting revealed that Meta Platforms (parent company of Facebook and Instagram) is a significant funder of the Digital Childhood Alliance—information that Stefanski had declined to disclose during her May 2025 legislative testimony.<ref name=":3">{{Cite news |last=Lenney |first=Brian |date=December 8, 2025 |title=Meta's manipulation disguised as child safety. |url=https://www.deseret.com/opinion/2025/12/07/child-safety-bill-backed-by-meta/}}</ref>

According to reporting, Meta also acknowledged having "collaborated with Digital Childhood Alliance."[5] Multiple sources, including Insurance Journal, documented that Meta is helping fund the organization.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Birnbaum |first=Emily |date=July 25, 2025 |title=Meta Clashes With Apple, Google Over Child Age Check Legislation. |url=https://www.insurancejournal.com/news/national/2025/07/25/833246.htm}}</ref>

===Conflict of Interest Allegations===
Critics have raised concerns about a potential conflict of interest, arguing that Stefanski's organization is advocating for policies that directly benefit its largest funder, Meta, while claiming to represent independent child safety advocacy.<ref name=":3" />

The concern centers on the App Store Accountability Act, which would require comprehensive age verification systems at app stores. Critics argue that such systems disproportionately burden Meta's smaller competitors while benefiting Meta, which already has extensive verification and data collection infrastructure.<ref name=":3" /><blockquote>The organization claiming to represent concerned parents is quietly funded by Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram. The same company whose own internal research proved its platforms devastate teenage girls' mental health is now bankrolling campaigns that blame everyone except itself.</blockquote>Critics contend that the ASAA "accomplishes nothing except creating expensive verification systems that Meta's competitors must build and pay for."<ref name=":3" />

===501(c)(4) Status and Regulatory Structure===
The Digital Childhood Alliance's organization as a 501(c)(4) nonprofit allows it to engage in unlimited political advocacy and lobbying while not being required to publicly disclose its donors.<ref name=":2" /> This legal structure explains why Stefanski was able to decline answering questions about her organization's funding sources during legislative testimony.

==Public Statements and Positioning==
Stefanski has stated that parental controls and existing tools are insufficient to protect children online, arguing that technology companies currently treat 13-year-olds as adults on their platforms. She has advocated for raising the age of digital accountability to 16.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Appenmedia.com. |date=November 10, 2025 |title=Legislator workshops legislation to keep kids safe online. |url=https://www.appenmedia.com/news/legislator-workshops-legislation-to-keep-kids-safe-online/article_553c0a56-2c27-406d-9add-37515a317321.html}}</ref>

Regarding app stores specifically, Stefanski has characterized them as "digital gatekeepers of our children's lives" that "control what gets through, but until now, they've had zero accountability."<ref>{{Cite news |last=Stokel-Walker |first=Chris |date=Jan 12, 2026 |title=The Drive For Age Assurance Is Turning App Stores Into Childhood Regulators |url=https://www.techpolicy.press/the-drive-for-age-assurance-is-turning-app-stores-into-childhood-regulators/}}</ref>

==References==
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File:Casey Stefanski.jpg

2026-03-08T15:35:23Z

MoonMoon:

Casey Stefanski