Pluralistic: Spying on kids to save kids from spying is very, very stupid (23 Jun 2026)
9 hours ago
- Age verification on the internet is actually mass surveillance that makes commercial tracking look mild.
- The push for age verification is backed by an odd coalition of anti-Big Tech activists, conservative culture warriors, and tech companies that benefit from surveillance.
- Harms to kids from online platforms start with surveillance; requiring more surveillance to protect kids is counterproductive and dangerous.
- Governments have failed to pass privacy laws, yet are rushing to pass age verification laws that effectively make privacy illegal.
- Online surveillance is used for price discrimination, wage suppression, and potential immigration enforcement, not just protecting children.