age verification

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New York Will Require Digital ID Checks for Social Feeds
2 months ago
- New York's SAFE for Kids Act requires age verification (digital ID) before algorithms curate feeds or platforms send midnight notifications to users under 18, effective January 25, 2027.
- Users over 17 must prove adulthood via government IDs, face scans, phone numbers, or emails; platforms must offer at least one verification option beyond ID upload.
- For minors, default settings disable algorithmic feeds and overnight notifications (midnight to 6 a.m.) without parental consent, which requires digital ID checks for parents.
- Age checks must meet accuracy standards (e.g., ≤0.1% false pass rate for ages ≤7 up to 15% for age 17), block ≥98% of circumvention attempts, and undergo annual testing with results retained for 10 years.
- Collected data must be minimized, used only for age/parental consent, and deleted or de-identified after use—though enforcement challenges remain due to hacking, breaches, or non-compliance.
- The law targets major platforms (Instagram, TikTok, etc.) and any service where users spend ≥20% of time on addictive feeds, exempting sites with <5 million monthly users or <20,000 minor users, with penalties up to $5,000 per violation.
EU Age Verification Project Mandates Hardware-Bound Attestation
2 months ago
- The EU's open-source age-verification project mandates hardware-bound attestation, raising concerns about compatibility with Linux, custom Android ROMs, and independently compiled apps.
- A project maintainer confirmed that hardware-bound attestation is an architectural requirement, not an optional implementation detail, inviting alternative proposals.
- The system aims to prove age without revealing identity, relying on protected hardware like Android TEE or Apple Secure Enclave to prevent credential misuse.
- Critics argue the approach limits system openness by depending on approved devices, OS versions, and attestation providers.
- Hardware-backed key storage doesn't require server-side approval of the entire device, but ambiguity remains over deployment restrictiveness.
- Governance restricts credential issuance to apps on an EU-maintained compliant list, preventing community-built versions from using the real service.
- Linux users can access via QR code but lack native wallet support; alternative mobile OS may face trust condition challenges.
- The controversy highlights whether an EU-funded open-source identity system can remain open given reliance on approved apps, hardware, and policies.
The Screen Act Threatens Privacy Far Beyond Adult Websites
2 months ago
- The SCREEN Act (S. 737) would require online services to verify users' ages before accessing sexually explicit content, affecting millions of adult users' privacy and anonymity.
- Unlike state laws, the bill applies broadly to any service hosting even a single piece of explicit content, including streaming platforms and social media, not just adult sites.
- Simple age attestation is insufficient; platforms must use identity-linked verification methods, which are more invasive than physical ID checks.
- The bill's data protection measures are weak, allowing third-party verification services to collect and retain personal information with minimal limits, posing privacy and security risks.
- The SCREEN Act restricts VPN usage by requiring age verification based on IP addresses, undermining legitimate privacy and security benefits for users.
- The bill would block adults from lawful speech, reduce anonymity, and jeopardize internet privacy and data security for all users.
Australia's social media ban… A looming implementation disaster
2 months ago
- Australia's world-first social media ban for under-16s takes effect December 10, 2025, with no clear enforcement plan.
- The law was rushed through parliament in 24 hours, with minimal public consultation and expert input ignored.
- Age verification methods are unproven, invasive, and likely to fail, with accuracy as low as 76% for 13-year-olds.
- Privacy advocates warn the law creates mass surveillance infrastructure, risking data breaches and civil liberties.
- Vulnerable groups—LGBTQIA+ youth, rural children, and those relying on social media for mental health—face severe harm.
- Only 25% of Australians believe the ban will work; experts call it a 'blunt instrument' that pushes kids to unregulated spaces.
- Platforms like Google, Meta, and TikTok criticize the law as unenforceable, and VPN circumvention is expected to spike.
- The government admits it is 'building the plane while flying it,' with no fixed compliance standards or accuracy thresholds.
- Alternative approaches like safety-by-design and digital literacy were ignored in favor of a politically popular but ineffective ban.
Pluralistic: Spying on kids to save kids from spying is very, very stupid (23 Jun 2026)
2 months 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.
Australia's Next Target in the War on Kids Online: Your VPN
2 months ago
- Australia's eSafety regulator is now targeting VPN usage to prevent bypassing age checks, expanding beyond just blocking adult content.
- Age verification is effectively identity verification, threatening anonymity, free expression, and enabling government surveillance.
- VPNs are essential privacy tools, but they are being treated as compliance problems, with social media bans also targeting VPN workarounds.
- The article warns that age verification will not stop at age gates; VPNs, Tor, and other privacy tools will be next targets.
- Age verification providers are acting as delegated law enforcement, reporting users for using alternative OS, and punishing parents who help kids bypass verification.
Australia's ban on social media for under-16s has jolted EU into belated action
2 months ago
- Australia's social media ban for under-16s, introduced in December 2025, has inspired global discussions but faces practical issues such as weak age verification and workarounds by teenagers.
- By early 2026, at least 13 EU countries plus the UK, Norway, and Switzerland announced similar bans, with some leaders criticizing social media platforms as 'failed states'.
- Experts argue that current regulations like the EU's Digital Services Act are ineffective, and social media companies have failed to enforce age restrictions or curb addictive features.
- European Commission findings label platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok as addictive by design, though companies dispute this.
- Efforts for age verification tools face delays, but the urgency for legislation is driven by mounting evidence of online harm and successful legal actions.
What the World Should Learn from Australia's Social Media Law
2 months ago
- Australia’s social media law, effective Dec 2025, raised the age for accounts to 16, a global first, requiring platforms to verify and enforce age minimums.
- Early surveys show under-16 social media use declined partially, but critics argue the law fails due to workarounds; however, the law targets account-based access, not all content viewing.
- Platforms removed 4.7 million under-16 accounts, and parents report positive behavioral changes in children, including more in-person interaction and improved relationships.
- Enforcement and compliance are expected to improve over time via stronger fines, societal norm shifts, and a 'no account before 16' childhood becoming standard.
- Privacy-safe age verification methods (e.g., biometric estimation, third-party vouching) are advancing, reducing the need for sensitive document sharing.
- Age limits have pressured companies to redesign products for safety, as seen with Snapchat’s friends-only feature for teens, and are complementary to design reform laws.
- The law is creating a market for safer online spaces, with organizations like Minus18 seeing a surge in under-16 users seeking moderated communities.
- The overall impact is a long-term cultural shift, not a quick fix, with Australia’s pioneering action inspiring other countries and driving industry improvements.
Australia's Next Target in the War on Kids Online: Your VPN
2 months ago
- Australia's eSafety regulator is expanding its age verification mandate to target VPN usage, treating privacy tools as compliance problems.
- Age verification is essentially identity verification, which threatens freedom of expression and creates a chilling effect on anonymous speech.
- VPNs are being targeted as workarounds for age checks on adult and social media sites, with eSafety requiring platforms to block such bypasses.
- Age verification providers are acting as delegated law enforcement, even reporting users for using alternative operating systems.
- The push is part of a broader trend that will likely extend to other privacy tools like Tor and encrypted DNS, ultimately eroding online anonymity.
Reddit is now asking age verification for all users in the EU
2 months ago
- Reddit is implementing mandatory age verification for all users in the European Union.
- This measure is aimed at complying with EU regulations.
- Users express concerns over privacy and the practicality of the verification process.
Stop the GUARD Act and age verification laws worldwide
2 months ago
- Age verification laws are often justified as protecting children, but may not effectively solve the intended problems and can have severe consequences for digital freedoms.
- The GUARD Act in the U.S. would mandate age verification for chatbot services, potentially enabling surveillance and threatening software freedom, including free machine learning development.
- Age verification requirements could force even small free software projects to implement restrictive technologies, undermining Freedom 0—the right to use software for any purpose.
- Activists urge calling senators to oppose such legislation and highlight upcoming International Day Against DRM on July 17th to raise awareness and seek support.
Bill C-34 Answers Child Safety with Identity Infrastructure
3 months ago
- Bill C-34, the Safe Social Media Act, acknowledges real online harms and proposes platform accountability for harmful design, weak safety systems, and failures to protect children.
- The bill's minimum-age provisions (sections 27-29) risk turning child safety into age-verification infrastructure, requiring age verification or estimation for access to major online spaces, which could condition participation in public discourse.
- The legislation bundles multiple issues—platform accountability, child safety, age verification, pornography access, AI chatbot rules, and a Digital Safety Commission—making it complex and harder to scrutinize, potentially entangling good parts with bad ones.
- Age verification infrastructure could normalize access controls on public online life, with privacy safeguards insufficient to address architectural concerns, and may disproportionately impact vulnerable youth who rely on online spaces for community and support.
- The bill has an outdated view of social media, favoring centralized platforms over decentralized alternatives like Mastodon or Lemmy, which could hinder digital sovereignty and competition.
- The implementation details, including which services are covered and acceptable age-verification methods, are deferred to future regulations and Commission guidance, avoiding explicit parliamentary debate on key decisions.
- Amendments are suggested: retain platform accountability measures but remove or narrow the minimum-age regime, focus on age-appropriate design, and ensure privacy protections without making age verification a condition for access.
The KIDS Act would require age checks to get online
3 months ago
- Congress is set to vote on the KIDS Act, which combines KOSA and other internet bills, pushing age verification and content moderation.
- The act uses a 'knows or should have known' standard for minors, pressuring platforms to implement age checks, risking privacy and free expression.
- Age verification may involve invasive methods like driver's licenses or facial scans, disproportionately affecting marginalized groups.
- The bill regulates lawful speech around topics like addiction and gambling, pressuring platforms to censor discussions to avoid legal risk.
- Private and encrypted messages are targeted, potentially weakening encryption and ephemeral messaging features for all users.
- The act's complexity and legal risks could lead to restrictive age-checking across platforms, reducing privacy for everyone online.
Morbid: Debunking Modern Longevity Science
3 months ago
- Jiroemon Kimura, the world's oldest man who died at 116 in 2013, had questionable age records with inconsistencies in his life history.
- Saul Justin Newman's book 'Morbid' argues that extreme longevity claims are often due to bad record-keeping, not healthy lifestyles.
- Supercentenarians with unhealthy habits like smoking or drinking may not actually be as old as claimed, undermining longevity studies.
- Small errors in age reporting can compound over time, skewing demographic data and affecting public policy decisions.
- Examples of fraud include Japan's missing centenarians and Greece's pension fraud, highlighting systemic issues in age verification.
- Blue zones, like Okinawa and Sardinia, may have inflated longevity due to destroyed records and benefits tied to age.
- Longevity is more influenced by societal factors like income, education, and environment than individual lifestyle choices.
- Ezekiel J. Emanuel's book emphasizes that common-sense health habits and meaningful life pursuits are more important than chasing extreme longevity.

age verification

New York Will Require Digital ID Checks for Social Feeds

EU Age Verification Project Mandates Hardware-Bound Attestation

The Screen Act Threatens Privacy Far Beyond Adult Websites

Australia's social media ban… A looming implementation disaster

Pluralistic: Spying on kids to save kids from spying is very, very stupid (23 Jun 2026)

Australia's Next Target in the War on Kids Online: Your VPN

Australia's ban on social media for under-16s has jolted EU into belated action

What the World Should Learn from Australia's Social Media Law

Australia's Next Target in the War on Kids Online: Your VPN

Reddit is now asking age verification for all users in the EU

Stop the GUARD Act and age verification laws worldwide

Bill C-34 Answers Child Safety with Identity Infrastructure

The KIDS Act would require age checks to get online

Morbid: Debunking Modern Longevity Science