A Kid With a Fake #Mustache Tricked an Online Age-Verification Tool

To stop children from bypassing its age checks, #Meta is revamping its age-verification tools with an #AI system that analyzes images and videos for “visual cues,” such as height and bone structure.
#ageverification #privacy

https://www.wired.com/story/a-kid-with-a-fake-mustache-tricked-an-online-age-verification-tool/

Some kids are bypassing age verification checks with a fake mustache

https://techcrunch.com/2026/05/06/some-kids-are-bypassing-age-verification-checks-with-a-fake-mustache/

#HackerNews #ageverification #fakeid #mustache #kids #safety #technews

#Meta will use #AI to analyze height and bone structure to identify if users are underage

https://techcrunch.com/2026/05/05/meta-will-use-ai-to-analyze-height-and-bone-structure-to-identify-if-users-are-underage/

#privacy #AgeVerification #IdentityVerification

#EFF and 18 Organizations Urge #UK Policymakers to Prioritize Addressing the Roots of Online Harm

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2026/05/eff-and-18-organizations-urge-uk-policymakers-prioritize-addressing-roots-online

#privacy #AgeVerification #Mozilla #Tor #ORG

"Expanding age verification will entrench the dominance of large tech companies and harm small and volunteer-run services who may not be able to afford to comply.”

The UK must address structural causes of online harms like "surveillance-driven advertising models and the dominance of a small number of Big Tech platforms."

🗣️ ORG's @JamesBaker on the statement from 19 organisations.

https://www.neowin.net/news/tech-giants-and-civil-rights-groups-warn-uks-age-verification-plan-threatens-the-open-web/

#ageverification #onlinesafety #privacy #ukpolitics #ukpol

🚨 The UK says it wants to "protect children online"

Yet, forcing EVERYONE to verify their age won't stop harm - but put all of us under surveillance.

Today, we've signed an open letter together with @mullvad @Tor @mozilla & others to stop #AgeVerification in the UK 💪

Read the complete letter: https://www.openrightsgroup.org/app/uploads/2026/05/UK-joint-statement-against-age-gates.pdf

Alt...

First they came for Adult Sites And I did not speak out Because I was not interested in Adult sites Then they came for chat apps And I did not speak out Because I was not interested in chat apps Then they came for Social Media And I did not speak out Because I was not interested in Social Media Then they locked the whole web behind ID verification Then they came for VPNs And I did not speak out Because I was not interested in VPNs And there was nowhere left To speak up

The reports are coming in more and more. The "perpetrators" keep getting younger and younger. Now we're down to 8 year olds passing age verification. This one is not really surprising, that's basically the same way they passed FaceID to do ingame purchases even years ago, so...

I'd say it failed already. So can we get back to trying to solve actual problems instead of all of this abusive and governmental overreaching age verification bullshit?

/cc @EUCommission

#ageverification ication

Alt...

One only age verified once. My 8yo cousin shook me awake while I was having a nap, held her iPad up to my face and said "kuya look at this" Little rascal But yeah, I ain't age verifying shit. I'll do anything to avoid it

For a small fee I’ll happily come to your location so you can use my face for the age verification check.

#ageverification

History Repeats Itself: UK Age Verification Law Fails

Under age teens are once again circumventing the age gates on a massive scale, causing the UK age verification laws to catastrophically fail.

https://www.freezenet.ca/history-repeats-itself-uk-age-verification-law-fails/

#Censorship #News #Privacy #Security #AgeVerification #fail #SocialMedia #UK #VideoGames

It's official: #Utah is the U.S. state closest to #banning #VPNs - Yahoo Tech

When Utah's Senate Bill 73 goes into force on May 6, websites subject to the state's age verification law will be legally barred from explaining how to use a #VPN to get around age #restrictions. They'll also be liable for enforcing age #verification for any user within Utah's physical borders — regardless of their apparent virtual location.
#ageverification #privacy #security #utah #SB73

https://tech.yahoo.com/vpn/article/its-official-utah-is-the-us-state-closest-to-banning-vpns-153556814.html

#Roblox Blames Age-Verification Rollout for Lowered Growth. #Stock Tumbles 22%
#ageverification #privacy #security

https://yro.slashdot.org/story/26/05/04/0217228/roblox-blames-age-verification-rollout-for-lowered-growth-stock-tumbles-22?utm_source=rss1.0mainlinkanon&utm_medium=feed

Utah’s New Law Targeting VPNs Goes Into Effect Next Week

Next week Utah will become the first state in the nation to target the use of VPNs to avoid legally mandated age-verification gates. Advocates in states like Wisconsin successfully forced the removal of similar provisions due to constitutional and technical concerns

#utah #privacy #surveillance #VPN #ageverification #technology #tech

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2026/04/utahs-new-law-regulating-vpns-goes-effect-next-week

UK policymakers need to rethink online safety laws.

A new joint statement warns that age-gating and access restrictions threaten to fragment the open Internet and erode the rights of all users.

Read more about the statement from 19 organisations including ORG, Mozilla and @torproject ⬇️

https://www.openrightsgroup.org/press-releases/companies-and-civil-society-warn-that-uk-is-undermining-open-web/

#onlinesafety #ageverification #privacy #freedomofexpression #ukpolitics #ukpol

#children #AgeVerification #makeup #OnlineSafety

'One mother told researchers she caught her son using an eyebrow pencil to draw a moustache on his face to pass a platform's facial age estimation check. It worked. He was verified as 15. He was 12.'

https://www.euronews.com/next/2026/05/04/children-are-drawing-moustaches-on-their-faces-to-fool-online-age-checks-and-its-working

Utah’s VPN Ban Law Goes Into Effect in Age Verification Escalation

Utah is attempting to cover up the failures of their age verification law by effectively banning VPNs.

https://www.freezenet.ca/utahs-vpn-ban-law-goes-into-effect-in-age-verification-escalation/

#Censorship #News #Privacy #Security #AgeVerification #encryption #law #legislation #US #Utah #VPN

#Roblox slashes full-year forecast as #AgeVerification rollout hammers user growth

https://qz.com/roblox-full-year-forecast-cut-age-verification-user-growth-050126

#privacy #IdentityVerification #gaming

On the W3C blog, @seth wrote about "Age-restrictions on the web and user privacy and safety"

"A few of the unintended consequences that we are collectively grappling with are privacy violations, gatekeeping, fragmentation, data breaches, anonymity violations, and increased phishing risk...

In many cases, the issues appear to be more than age-based, they are safety-based, privacy-based"
Read more including about the new Community Group at:
https://www.w3.org/blog/2026/age-restrictions-on-the-web-and-user-privacy-and-safety/
#AgeVerification #WebStandards

An Online Safety Community Group has been created at W3C.

The mission of this group is to provide a discussion forum about the technical and architectural considerations for online safety, including safety for children online. While many see a particular interest in bolstering safety for vulnerable populations such as children, safety is important to all users of the Web.

learn more at:
https://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/public-new-work/2026Apr/0015.html
#WebStandards #OnlineSafety #AgeVerification

@vowe It was never about #ageverification!

It was about government having become impotent to regulate big tech. It was about the #neoliberal #ideology having invaded every nook & cranny of our lives. Even children have to serve the interests of shareholders in #BigTech companies, who won’t be held accountable for making their products safe for children.

Instead we hand over what remains of our #privacy to generate even more money & power for shareholders, disguised as care.. 🤮

FYI: EU spent millions building an age verification app nobody has to use: European Commission today adopted a recommendation pushing EU Member States to deploy anonymous, privacy-preserving age verification apps by 31 December 2026. https://ppc.land/eu-spent-millions-building-an-age-verification-app-nobody-has-to-use/ #AgeVerification #EUPolicy #Privacy #DigitalSecurity #DataProtection

#Utah’s New Law Targeting VPNs Goes Into Effect Next Week

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2026/04/utahs-new-law-regulating-vpns-goes-effect-next-week

#VPN #privacy #AgeVerification #censorship #IdentityVerification

An interesting discussion of the issues around various #ageverification laws that are popping up in various places around the world on the "Techlore" podcast with Jithendra Palepu, a legal expert from the #FSFE (Free Software Foundation in Europe).

Lately relevant in #Canada with the province of #Manitoba announcing age verification for social media an AI chatbots.

#mbpoli #cdnpoli #surveillancecapitalism

https://techlore.tech/age-verification-laws-and-free-software-fsfe-interview-techlore-talks/

Utah’s New Law Targeting VPNs Goes Into Effect Next Week

Instead of realizing that mass #surveillance and age gates aren't exactly crowd favorites, #Utah lawmakers have decided that VPNs themselves are the real issue.

Next week, on May 6, 2026, Utah will become, to EFF’s knowledge, the first state in the nation to target the use of VPNs to avoid legally mandated age-verification gates.
#VPN #privacy #security #ageverification

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2026/04/utahs-new-law-regulating-vpns-goes-effect-next-week

Proton CEO Andy Yen warns global age-verification laws could end anonymity via ID or biometric checks and centralized databases. 🔐
He calls for open-source, on-device, encrypted checks, warning they could expand controls, reducing user control and enabling tracking. ⚠️

@protonprivacy

🔗 https://www.techradar.com/vpn/vpn-privacy-security/proton-ceo-warns-global-age-verification-push-will-mean-the-death-of-anonymity-online

#TechNews #Proton #Privacy #AgeVerification #Cybersecurity #Encryption #FOSS #OpenSource #DataProtection #Surveillance #BigTech #Security #DigitalRights #Anonymity #Internet

ICYMI: EU spent millions building an age verification app nobody has to use: European Commission today adopted a recommendation pushing EU Member States to deploy anonymous, privacy-preserving age verification apps by 31 December 2026. https://ppc.land/eu-spent-millions-building-an-age-verification-app-nobody-has-to-use/ #EU #AgeVerification #Privacy #DigitalSafety #DataProtection

There is another change.org #petition for stopping the "corrupt" federal OS-level surveillance and #AgeVerification bill known as the Parents Decide Act (H.R. 8250). Sign it now! 🖊️📜 #Privacy #DigitalFreedom #DigitalRights #StopOSSpies #CyberSecurity #CyberFreedom #PrivacyFirst #NoAgeSignals #Corruption
https://www.change.org/p/stop-hr-8250-the-surveillance-bill-disguised-as-child-protection

The #GUARDAct Isn’t Targeting Dangerous #AI—It’s Blocking Everyday Internet Use

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2026/04/guard-act-isnt-targeting-dangerous-ai-its-blocking-everyday-internet-use

#privacy #IdentityVerification #AgeVerification #politics

Online age verification is the hill to die on

https://xcancel.com/GlennMeder/status/2049088498163216560

#HackerNews #onlineageverification #ageverification #digitalprivacy #cybersecurity #techpolicy

While we discuss #ageverification and try to fight it, there is another invasion on privacy coming.
More and more tools, online service, shops, everything you can imagine, will ask you to prove you are human and not an AI.
These proves will be invasive, because they will most likely be biometric, e.g. iris scans. Forget cookies and fingerprinting in your browser.
@heiseonline wrote about World and the iris scan already in 2024. Companies seem to adapt this technology.
Look at the case of #Perplexity and #Amazon. #AI #agents #agenticai buying for you? Nope, not with amazon. They want to sell ads. Imagine you have to get your iris scanned going to your preferred search engine, or using facebook, or YouTube, or shopify.

https://www.heise.de/news/Mit-Irisscanner-Worldcoin-heisst-jetzt-World-und-will-gegen-Deepfakes-helfen-9985506.html

https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/zoom-will-now-check-if-you-are-a-human-or-an-ai-imposter-during-video-meetings/

Digital checkpoints will crop up all over the Internet after UK MPs backed new powers to expand age verification.

The only way to block under-16s is to run checks on everybody.

That's millions more people having to hand over personal data to unregulated providers just to access everyday services.

Watch now ⬇️

#ageverification #digitalid #socialmedia #socialmediaban #freedomofexpression #childrensbill #privacy #ukpoltics