The 'papers, please' era of the internet will decimate your privacy
5 hours ago
- #internet privacy
- #age verification
- #surveillance
- Age verification laws in Australia, the UK, and the US require users to submit personal data like biometrics or government IDs, compromising online privacy.
- Australia's under-16 social media ban has been ineffective, with most teens still using platforms, and has led to data breaches, such as a Discord hack exposing 70,000 users' information.
- Third-party verification tools (e.g., Snapchat's k-ID) pose risks, including uncertain data handling, retention policies, and susceptibility to censorship or hacking.
- The UK plans a stricter 'Australia-plus' approach, potentially targeting VPNs to enforce bans, aligning with authoritarian internet controls.
- In the US, state and federal proposals like KOSA could mandate widespread age verification, increasing data breach risks and threatening free speech and anonymity online.
- Critics argue these laws create surveillance infrastructure, pressure self-censorship, and may not protect kids, but instead enable government overreach and corporate data collection.
- Concerns include flawed enforcement, bigotry in oversight bodies (e.g., Australia's eSafety Commission), and policies driven by groups with controversial backgrounds.