The scariest thing about new #AgeVerification laws being introduced in Europe (France, I was expecting more from you) is to see the positive reactions of my family members, who have fallen hook, line and sinker for the arguments discussed in the media. "It's to protect the children!" No it isn't.

I'm sending this superb article by the @eff to all of them:
🔗: https://www.eff.org/issues/age-verification

Now is the time to #resist and speak up and educate those around us ✊ #privacy

France passes law banning under-15s from social media

It will be implemented in two stages:
- From September, people under 15 will not be able to open accounts and age verification will be required on all new accounts
- In January 2027, this rule will apply to all existing accounts - meaning everyone in France will have to prove they are over 15 to use social media

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cq56l9p4y93o

#France #SocialMedia #AgeVerification #Privacy

So age verification is a product. Can't say I'm surprised. This isn't the only company. Others are mentioned in the story.

"Socure, a Nevada-based identity-verification company founded in 2012, says it now generates more than $340 million in annual recurring revenue from over 3,000 customers. New ARR grew 62 percent year over year, and age verification is among its fastest-growing product lines."

Inc: The Internet Is Starting to Card Everyone. These Startups Are Making Millions From It https://www.inc.com/georgia-fearn/the-internet-is-starting-to-card-everyone-these-startups-are-making-millions-from-it/91364328 @IncMagazine #surveillance #ageverification

If you have been wondering about the effectiveness of the social media ban of under 15 year olds, this study got you :)

Spoiler: 92%+ of kids age 14-15 in #Australia still use it 🥳

Meanwhile IMO forced verification of users had a much better success rate 😉

Source:
https://www.nber.org/system/files/working_papers/w35162/w35162.pdf

#Privacy #ageverification #IDverification #Study #Data #Science #Survey #Tech #SocialMedia #Technology #Internet #Censorship #Authoritarianism #MassSurveillance #Surveillance

Alt...

Screenshot of graphic from this study of Australia's social media ban: https://www.nber.org/system/files/working_papers/w35162/w35162.pdf Percent of banned 14-15-year olds (b) Compliance rate, April versus June 2026 Usage rate: 64% April, 92% June Implied compliance: 27% April, 6% June Notes: Figure 5 reports self-reported past-7-day use of any banned platform.

Reminder of how dire our digital privacy situation has become...

TikTok can spy on you even if you don’t have an account.

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20260210-tiktok-is-tracking-you-even-if-you-dont-use-the-app-heres-how-to-stop-it

Collecting personal data just to resell it should be outlawed in my opinion.

But combine this with data brokers, ChatControl’s recent vote, and the global push for age verification through 'trusted private third parties', all while data theft is at an all-time high, and you start wondering if we aren’t attending a clown show with very real consequences.

#Privacy #TikTok #ChatControl #DataBroker #AgeVerification

France Jumps Off Cliff, Passes Age Verification Laws

France has passed the failed age verification laws and set the restriction to 15 years of age and younger.

https://www.freezenet.ca/france-jumps-off-cliff-passes-age-verification-laws/

#Censorship #News #AgeVerification #facepalm #France #legislation #SocialMedia

Andy Burnham Scrapped Digital ID. His Internet Plans Say Otherwise.

The applause for scrapping digital ID arrived before anyone checked what survived it.

https://reclaimthenet.org/andy-burnham-scrapped-digital-id-his-internet-plans-say-otherwise

#UK #idVerification #AgeVerification #privacy #surveillance #dystopia #technology #government

Australia Considers Targeting VPNs Following Age Verification Failure

With the failure of age verification in Australia, the eSafety regulator is eyeing VPNs as a new target.

https://www.freezenet.ca/australia-considers-targeting-vpns-following-age-verification-failure/

#Censorship #News #Privacy #Security #AgeVerification #Australia #eSafety #VPN

@EUCommission good luck trying to enforce that and/or theor illegal #GDPR-violating " #AgeVerification " bs…

Here you can find some infos and my opinions on online age verification.

Educate your children instead of letting companies and governments spy on you.

https://byte21516.xyz/blog/posts/2026/2026-ageVerification/2026-ageVerification.html

#ageverification #discord #blog #privacy #5ca #blogpost

@dbattistella I did it every single year that "Lost in The Supermarket" topped Fanning's Fab Fifty.

#AgeVerification

Time: Australia’s Age Verification a Success Because Vibes

By all metrics, Australia's age verification law was a failure. So, Time said it's a success because it has good vibes.

https://www.freezenet.ca/time-australias-age-verification-a-success-because-vibes/

#Censorship #News #AgeVerification #Australia #journalism #Time

EU age-check app: 9 files released, no privacy review, claims unproven: Meant for every EU country, the app was presented as finished and untrackable, yet released files describe an unfinished build and privacy claims not backed. https://ppc.land/eu-age-check-app-9-files-released-no-privacy-review-claims-unproven/ #EUApp #PrivacyConcerns #DataProtection #DigitalSecurity #AgeVerification

#Proton launches interactive map to show #AgeVerification laws are spreading fast

https://www.techradar.com/vpn/vpn-privacy-security/the-death-of-privacy-online-proton-launches-interactive-map-to-show-age-verification-laws-are-spreading-fast

#privacy #cybersecurity

This is what age verification looks like if we apply it to real world.

Internet level age verification -> You can only going into the streets if you are above 18. If not, just stay in your home stuck forever or die.

OS level age verification -> You can only move at your house if you are above 18. If not, stay in your bedroom, until you die.

Sounds extreme, but that's the fact.

#opinion #ageverification

#California Steps Back From Dangerous Expansion of its Age-Gating Law

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2026/07/california-steps-back-dangerous-expansion-its-age-gating-law

#privacy #AgeVerification #cybersecurity #politics

NCAC Urges Fifth Circuit to Uphold Block on Texas App Store Age Verification Law - National Coalition Against Censorship
https://ncac.org/news/texas-app-store-accountability-act-first-amendment #Texas #Texasageverification #privacymatters #privacyfirst #privacyconcerns #privacylaw #usa #unitedstates #unitedstatesofamerica #USA #Unitedstates #Unitedstatesofamerica #america #America #ageverification #ageverificationandagegating

I just came across this video made by David Bombal. Yes, I know he’s an influencer trying to sell you his courses and promoting affiliate programs, so you should take this with a grain of salt. But unfortunately it’s true: vendors like Apple and Google are telling us what we’re allowed to do with our phones. When trying to setup your iPhone in the UK, you run into an age verification process before you can do anything else. And they’re claiming that they are using information like credit card or ID to prove that you are an adult.

And it’s not only happening in the UK, it happens everywhere. And it’s very likely that it’s going to happen in your country too. Maybe a good opportunity to consider getting a Pixel and install GrapheneOS on it…

#ageverification #privacy #surveillance

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ViWVlXg2NTU&ra=m

The US House passed the KIDS Act, a bill that would introduce internet age-gating measures aimed at protecting minors online. 🏛️
EFF argues the proposal would expand online surveillance instead of privacy protections, with broader implications for anonymity and the open web. 🔒

@eff

🔗 https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2026/07/dont-let-congress-age-gate-internet-effector-3813

#TechNews #Kids #KIDSAct #Children #Privacy #AgeVerification #Surveillance #DigitalRights #FreeSpeech #Cybersecurity #Technology #OpenWeb #Policy #Security #EFF

#California Steps Back From Dangerous Expansion of its Age-Gating Law

The California legislature has stepped back from a plan that would have expanded its age-gating law, removing language that could have compounded serious threats to users’ speech, #privacy and #security just to browse the internet. A.B. 1856, authored by Assemblymember Buffy Wicks, will now move forward through the legislature without its most problematic pieces.
#ab1856 #ageverification

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2026/07/california-steps-back-dangerous-expansion-its-age-gating-law

UK Pushes for Baffling Social Media Curfew for Teens

The UK, like others, is experiencing disaster with age verification, so it's now doubling down with a curfew on social media.

https://www.freezenet.ca/uk-pushes-for-baffling-social-media-curfew-for-teens/

#Censorship #News #AgeVerification #SocialMedia #teens #UK

Children's #SocialMedia curbs planned across #EU, von der Leyen says

https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/eu-propose-limit-kids-social-media-access-von-der-leyen-says-2026-07-13/

#AgeVerification #privacy #cybersecurity #Europe #politics #SocialMediaBan

"Hands off our VPNs, privacy groups tell UK ministers"

https://www.theregister.com/networks/2026/07/14/hands-off-our-vpns-privacy-groups-tell-uk-ministers/5271070?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=mastodon

"Whether the government is persuaded may depend on whether it views VPNs as a niche loophole used by a small minority of teenagers – as its own research suggests – or as the next obstacle to enforcing its online safety agenda."

#AgeVerification #privacy #VPN #VPNs #technology #UK #DigitalID

New EU report details age verification plans and ID requirements for accessing the internet

https://www.reddit.com/r/privacy/comments/1uvzw1z/new_eu_report_details_age_verification_plans_and/

#EU #AgeVerification #idVerification #privacy #surveillance #dystopia #technology #government #socialmedia #Europe

EU Chief: We “Need” to Embarrass Ourselves Further With Age Verification

Ursula von der Leyen continues to double down on failed age verification laws, vaguely pointing to "predatory algorithms".

https://www.freezenet.ca/eu-chief-we-need-to-embarrass-ourselves-further-with-age-verification/

#Censorship #News #AgeVerification #EU #Europe #SocialMedia

The EU will propose limits on under-16s using Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook after summer. Australia already bans them. The privacy catch: verifying every user's age can mean ID uploads or face scans for everyone, not just kids.

#ageverification #TikTok #EU #indigoprivacy

1/2 🚨 European Commission panel of experts backs indiscriminate age checks 🚨

Today, the chairs of the European Commission's panel of experts on child online safety published their recommendations, backing mandatory EU-wide #AgeVerification to exclude people under 13 from accessing online spaces 🚫

To know who is of the right age, everyone may have to prove their age. That creates barriers for people who cannot—or simply should not have to—go through the age verification process.

Alt...

A light blue background with purple and dark blue pixels. A human hand is holding a phone with a pixelated screen in the centre. STOP signs are popping up around the phone. A window with the text: RESTRICTED your verification was not successful. Another window with eyes and mouth.

The #House Passed The #KIDSAct—The #Senate Should Reject It

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2026/07/house-passed-kids-act-senate-should-reject-it

#privacy #AgeVerification #politics

Australia’s Age Verification Laws Notches First 100% Failure Rate

The studies are piling up and they all keep pointing to the same conclusion. Australia's age verification laws have failed.

https://www.freezenet.ca/australias-age-verification-laws-notches-first-100-failure-rate/

#Censorship #News #AgeVerification #Australia #study

#SupremeCourt allows #Texas to require #AgeVerification for mobile apps

https://www.cnn.com/2026/07/06/politics/supreme-court-allows-texas-to-require-age-verification-for-mobile-apps

#privacy #SCOTUS #politics

The Supreme Court is letting Texas enforce its App Store Accountability Act. Under-18s need a parent's OK to download any app. To spot minors, though, Apple and Google must age-verify everyone. Like carding every customer at the bookstore door, a judge said.

#SCOTUS #ageverification #indigoprivacy

Supreme Court declines to block Texas age-verification law for app downloads #Tech #apps #AgeVerification

https://apnews.com/article/texas-age-mobile-app-verification-law-supreme-court-362137cccb26fc5f5dfbb71fb2b2f3db

Age Verification is Digital ID
https://alecmuffett.com/article/161926
#AgeVerification #DigitalId #no2id

Age Verification is Digital ID

Two More Studies Show that Australia’s Age Verification Laws Have Failed

Research in one analysis show that 7 in 10 teens still have accounts on Facebook. Another shows 60% are still on social media.

https://www.freezenet.ca/two-more-studies-show-that-australias-age-verification-laws-have-failed/

#Censorship #News #AgeVerification #Australia #fail #research #SocialMedia #study