The Looming Digital ID Trap: Why Age Verification Laws Threaten Privacy and Won’t Protect Kids
Over 25 state age verification laws are now on the books in the US, alongside the UK’s Online Safety Act, and the trend is clear: governments are scrambling to regulate online access, particularly for young people. But a growing body of evidence suggests these efforts, built on the promise of safety, are fundamentally flawed – and could usher in an era of unprecedented digital surveillance. The core problem isn’t a lack of intent, but a dangerous reliance on technological “solutions” to complex social issues, and a willingness to trade fundamental rights for a false sense of security.
The False Promise of Age Verification
The idea is simple: verify a user’s age online to restrict access to harmful content. However, in practice, age verification is proving to be a blunt instrument, impacting everyone, not just children. It’s a digital hammer smashing indiscriminately, restricting access to vital resources and communities for adults and young people alike. Legislators are attempting to address issues like exposure to inappropriate content, cyberbullying, and online grooming with tools that are demonstrably ineffective at solving these problems.
These concerns fall into three main categories: content risks, conduct risks, and contact risks. But mandatory age checks don’t eliminate these risks; they simply shift them. They block access to support networks for vulnerable youth, and create new avenues for data exploitation. As the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) points out, these laws often rely on problematic technologies and data practices.
Parental Controls: A Better, Underutilized Solution
Instead of pursuing broad censorship mandates, a more effective approach lies in empowering parents with better tools. Existing parental controls are surprisingly underutilized. A recent survey revealed adoption rates vary wildly, from 51% on tablets to just 35% on video game consoles. Improving the accessibility and flexibility of these controls – making them easier to understand and customize – could significantly address content risks without resorting to widespread age gating.
Tech companies are beginning to respond. Android has streamlined its parental controls, allowing parents to block specific apps and filter content in Chrome and Search. Apple recently updated its settings, introducing a “Declared Age Range API” that allows developers to tailor app experiences based on age ranges without requiring users to submit their birthdates. This is a crucial step towards privacy-respecting age-appropriate experiences. A diverse toolkit, tailored to individual family needs, is far more effective than a one-size-fits-all government mandate.
The Privacy Paradox: Age Verification and Data Exploitation
The most alarming consequence of mandatory age verification isn’t just the restriction of access; it’s the erosion of privacy. Many age-checking tools rely on data brokers to “estimate” age based on email addresses and other personal information. This incentivizes the collection and retention of vast amounts of data, creating detailed profiles of individuals – including young people – and contributing to pervasive online surveillance.
This data isn’t just used for age verification; it’s bought and sold, fueling behavioral advertising and potentially falling into the wrong hands. Worse still, companies that engage in these privacy-encroaching practices are often rewarded with lucrative government contracts, creating a perverse incentive structure. As EFF has long advocated, comprehensive data privacy legislation is essential to protect young people online, regardless of their home environment. Banning behavioral ads would remove a major driver of data collection.
The Authoritarian Implications of a Gated Internet
Age verification proponents often dismiss privacy concerns, arguing that the trade-off is worth it to “protect children.” But this argument ignores the broader implications. These systems don’t foster safer online practices; they encourage increasingly invasive ways for governments to define who is and isn’t free to roam online. If we don’t actively defend online anonymity today, we risk creating an internet unrecognizable – and unusable – for both children and adults.
The future isn’t about building walls around the internet; it’s about equipping individuals with the knowledge and tools to navigate it safely and responsibly.
What You Can Do Now
Protecting young people online requires a multi-faceted approach. Start by utilizing existing parental controls and having open conversations about online safety and privacy. Support comprehensive privacy legislation and advocate for regulations on the data broker industry. And crucially, join organizations like the EFF in opposing mandatory age verification and age-gating laws. The future of the internet – and the privacy of generations to come – depends on it.
