The UK social media ban is coming.

That means every adult having to show their ID to get online.

Age verification puts privacy at risk. Curbs freedom of expression. And simply doesn't work to keep kids safe online.

The government needs to change course. But the clock is ticking.

Sign the petition ⬇️

https://action.openrightsgroup.org/say-no-id-online-access

#ageverification #privacy #freedomofexpression #onlinesafety #socialmediaban #ukpolitics #ukpol #digitalrights

"On September 17, the European Commission proposed the EU KIDS Act, which would ban social media for children under 13 and allow teenagers to create their own accounts on social media only from the age of 15. For children aged 13 to 15, the officials proposed parental controls that enable guardians to set up mini accounts, which children access through the guardian's account. These mini accounts would come with limited social contacts and screen time of up to one hour per day, the EU Commission states.

Children aged 3 to 13 could not access social media, but they could "access specially designed child-friendly video-sharing services through accounts managed by their guardian," as mentioned on the official website. Platforms would also have to give parents an easy tool to restrict their own device to such services when handing it to a child, with the same one-hour daily limit. Platforms will also have to show that their services are age-appropriate and safe.

The Commission introduces a "safety-by-design" principle for social media, video-sharing platforms, online games, AI tools and chatbots used by minors. It bans addictive features, such as “recommender feeds based on profiling, infinite scroll without stopping points, reward tricks, push notifications during sleeping hours, and unsolicited contact from strangers”. AI agents and chatbots must not simulate relationships in ways that create emotional dependence.

Online services and app stores must use age-assurance tools, for example, the EU age-verification app. Social media and video-sharing platforms will have to verify a user's age when a new account is opened. For existing accounts, platforms need to estimate a user's age based on reasonable indicators, such as the account creation date or credit card details."

https://www.pathtopower.global/features/what-to-know-about-the-eu-plans-to-restrict-social-media-for-under-15s-dr-vasilis-ververis-answers-main-questionsnbsp

#EU #AgeVerification #SocialMedia #Censorship

#AgeVerification in #Canada being debated - #BillC34

https://discuss.privacyguides.net/t/age-verification-in-canada-being-debated-as-well-bill-c-34/41158

#privacy #cybersecurity #C34

Open public consultation on the EU KIDS ACT. If you have opinions about EU rules for children on social media, age verification, concerns about how this will affect the fediverse, etc... here's the best place to share them: https://ec.europa.eu/info/law/better-regulation/have-your-say/initiatives/19418-Child-online-safety-keeping-digital-spaces-accountable-and-trustworthy-EU-Kids-Act-_en

#EU #KidsAct #EUKidsAct #AgeVerification #PublicConsultation #EUHaveYourSay #fediverse #mastodon #socialMedia

“Signed into law earlier this year, SB 73 attempted to regulate adult websites by requiring them to block VPN users or to identify the physical location of visitors using them or similar tools that mask their network traffic. It even went so far as to prohibit websites from offering instructions on how to use a VPN to bypass these checks. This made Utah, to EFF’s knowledge, the first state in the nation to target the use of VPNs to avoid legally mandated age-verification gates.

The Utah federal court halted enforcement of the law's VPN provisions last week, ruling that the law likely violates the U.S. Constitution’s prohibition on passing laws that significantly burden businesses and people outside Utah’s borders.

SB 73 burdens the rights of all internet users outside of Utah because it requires adult websites to either know every visiting user’s physical location, and then block those in Utah, or to verify every visitor’s age just in case they might be in Utah. The law’s “actual-location provision in practice requires an entity to perform age verification services for every user visiting its site from any location because the entity would violate the law if even one of those users happened to be obfuscating,” the court wrote. The court essentially ruled that Utah has less-burdensome ways to prevent Utah minors from accessing adult websites than requiring all users in the world to comply with SB 73.

Aylo’s lawsuit does not challenge SB 73’s provision prohibiting the websites covered by the law from sharing information about VPNs.”

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2026/10/court-agrees-eff-utahs-vpn-law-demands-technical-impossibility

#USA #Utah #VPNs #AgeVerification #Surveillance #Privacy

Age verification in the Fediverse: How the KIDS Act challenges Mastodon

https://www.heise.de/en/background/Age-verification-in-the-Fediverse-How-the-KIDS-Act-challenges-Mastodon-11474306.html

#ageverification #privacy #Mastodon #Europe #europa #Fediverse #policy

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2026/10/court-agrees-eff-utahs-vpn-law-demands-technical-impossibility

a federal judge has issued a preliminary injunction blocking Utah’s SB 73, the state’s draconian anti-VPN age verification law. (it required all "adult" websites, to block all VPNs, and track the real physical location of all visitors) In short the current wording of the document is not technically possible, it simply can not be done, can not be implemented the way they describe.

#EFF #Privacy #AgeVerification

"Hackers Had A Live Feed Of Every ID This Verification Company Scanned. For Over A Year."
"Chat Control 2.0 Trilogue Update: No mass scanning deal for now – European Parliament stands firm against “Search Plans”"
"Clearview AI Is Testing an AI Tool That Would Let Cops Unearth Your Life Online"
"Discord reveals age-check rollout with massive changes to how it works"

https://theprivacycloud.substack.com/p/september-2026-privacy-news-roundup

#privacy #surveillance #security #ageverification

Reminder: All these proposed "internet safety" measures (under 14/15/16 social media bans, age verification, client side scanning, OSA copycat laws, etc.) are ineffective, if not outright counterproductive at protecting minors and the public at large.

The true purpose of these measures are follows:

For Governments:

-Ensure that things like Arab Spring, the 2020 George Floyd Protests, and the surge in Pro-Palestine sentiment can never happen again.
-Censor evidence of war crimes and corruption.
-Get rid of anything they personally find weird/icky (furries, LGBTQ+ community, voting rights resources, mental/reproductive health resources, etc.)

For Corporations (Meta, OpenAI, AAA gaming publishers, etc.):

-These giant companies know they are rotten to the core. But rather then introspect and improve, they want to ensure they're the only game in town (or at least ensure everyone else dies with them).
-Profit from selling even more personal data

Call your region appropriate representatives! Sign petitions! Participate in protests! Let governments and corporations know we don't want any of this!

#Privacy #Censorship #FreeSpeech #DigitalRights #AgeVerification #ClientSideScanning #SocialMedia #SocialMediaBans #EU #EuropeanUnion #Canada #US #UnitedStates #Australia #UK #UnitedKingdom

To anyone following the #EU #KIDS #Act, does anyone understand how the current proposal would affect #FDroid and #FOSS? From what I have seen, it seems to not directly regulate us, but I just heard that it might.

#EUKIDSAct #AgeVerification #FreeSoftware #OpenSource

Judge Rules Utah Age Verification Law “Likely” Unconstitutional

Utah's on again off again age verification law that bans VPNs is now off again as a judge blocks its enforcement.

https://www.freezenet.ca/judge-rules-utah-age-verification-law-likely-unconstitutional/

#Censorship #LawAndTechnology #News #Privacy #Security #AgeVerification #court #ruling #US #Utah #VPN

"“While estimating age based on user behavior is less invasive than requiring users to upload photos, credit card information or a state-issued ID, age-gating the internet creates dangerous new forms of surveillance, censorship, and exclusion,” Electronic Frontier Foundation senior counsel David Greene told CNET.

Discord includes a facial age-estimation option that requires a video selfie. Although the site says all facial analysis happens locally on the device, this use of AI still gives us pause. Experts point to ongoing accuracy challenges and inherent data risks, raising concerns over how corporate policies and algorithmic parameters might evolve in the future.

We’re also not fans of the credit-card check option, which not only costs money but sends credit card details to a third party, which may increase financial security risks.

Inaccurate age estimates can always happen, and they complicate the process. While Discord notes that users can initially switch to alternative confirmation methods, manual review serves as the fallback if those options fail. However, this manual route is a last resort and requires a human representative to personally verify both a government ID and a photograph."

https://www.cnet.com/news/privacy/discord-introduces-alternative-age-verification-tools-after-pushback/

#SocialMedia #AgeVerification #Discord #Privacy #DataProtection

#Discord’s #AgeVerification era is upon us, despite community backlash

https://techcrunch.com/2026/09/22/discords-age-verification-era-is-upon-us-despite-community-backlash/

#privacy #SocialMedia #cybersecurity

"Google is bringing its age assurance technology — which uses artificial intelligence to detect underage users — to Canada.

“Our age estimation model uses machine learning to interpret a variety of signals already associated with a user’s account, such as the types of information a user has searched for or the categories of videos they’ve watched on YouTube,” the company said in a blog post Monday.

The company says that if the technology identifies someone as underage, their Google account will be changed to include additional protections, such as safeguards on content recommendations.

If it mistakenly identifies an adult as being under 18, the company says that person will be able to prove their age using things like a government ID or a selfie.

“In the coming days, we’ll begin to gradually roll out this technology in Canada, carefully monitoring progress as we expand its availability,” Jeanette Patell, director of government affairs and public policy at Google Canada, said in the post.

She said the company won’t be collecting any new information that isn’t already associated with the user’s account."

https://www.ctvnews.ca/sci-tech/article/google-to-begin-using-age-assurance-tech-to-identify-underage-accounts-in-canada/

#Canada #AI #BullhshitTechnology #Google #AgeVerification #Censorship #BigTech #Surveillance

Europe’s Age Verification Law Panned By Experts

Europe is pushing for an age verification law through the EU Kids Act. It's going to be a failure in waiting.

https://www.freezenet.ca/europes-age-verification-law-panned-by-experts/

#Censorship #News #AgeVerification #AI #EFF #EU #EUKidsAct #Europe #gaming #SocialMedia #Steam

when other platforms add age verification, governments throttle the network or block centralized chat services, etc.

#ageverification #enshittification #autonomy #privacy #decentralization #encryption #digitalindependence #ArcaneChat #europe #european #android

To Enforce Its Proposed #SocialMedia an for 450 Million Pre-Teens, #EU Builds an #OpenSource App

https://yro.slashdot.org/story/26/09/20/0712211/to-enforce-its-proposed-social-media-ban-for-450-million-pre-teens-eu-builds-an-open-source-app

#privacy #AgeVerification #SocialMedia

Nighthawks Game Removal Shows Why Age Verification Laws Are Bad

Vampire game, Nighthawks, got removed from Steam for being adults only. The problem is that it wasn't adults only.

https://www.freezenet.ca/nighthawks-game-removal-shows-why-age-verification-laws-are-bad/

#Business #Censorship #News #AgeVerification #gaming #Nighthawks #Steam

🇪🇺🔍 Protecting children online matters, but privacy must remain part of the conversation.

Proposals to restrict social media access for under-13s raise important questions about age verification, identity checks, and facial recognition.

🛡️ Child safety and digital rights should move forward together—not at the expense of our privacy.

#Privacy #AgeVerification #EU #DigitalRights

https://www.profitableratecpmnetwork.com/wvc4cv57j?key=ca1a5e1209293f2e036807ac97d29875

Oh, Vimeo, what you do isn’t all that hard when you remove the centralised aspects of it. We don’t need all the bullshit you peddle to have the non-bullshit parts.

Working so far, in my Small Web prototype using Kitten¹:

• Uploads
• Automatic transcription (via tiny offline LLM)
• Watch online
• Share direct video link

Also fixing a couple of bugs in Kitten as I go so this should make the automatic uploads feature in Kitten more robust (in main, currently, the serving of videos is broken as we’re not properly handling range requests. Will be fixed in the next release.)

The prototype currently has a little over 200 lines of code (HTML + CSS + JS).

¹ https://kitten.small-web.org

#SmallWeb #Kitten #Vimeo #video #ageVerification

Alt...

Screenshot of web browser showing https://localhost/watch/<video hash>, titled Test 2. Video of yours truly. Transcript reads: Alright, this is another test this time with the microphone working. Under it are “Share this page” and “Direct link to the video file” URLs.

PS. If you need to bulk download your videos from Vimeo (there is no data export option – CC @EUCommission *tap, tap* is this thing on?) these folks (who have a commercial Vimeo competitor), wrote a bulk export tool. I haven’t used it yet but I will be soon:

https://livid.com/blog/bulk-export-vimeo/

#Vimeo #ageVerification #export #tool #data #videos #lockIn

🇪🇺🚨 Ursula von der Leyen wants to ban social media for under 13s across the European Union

What the EU claims as "child protection" means mass surveillance because of ID checks and face scans 🚩

We must fight against #AgeVerification and for our right of #privacy✊

Alt...

Image shows Ursula von der Leyen and the number 13 crossed out

Watching the State of the Union right now, the part about mandated age verification is at around the 1 hour mark

Ursula von der Leyen rightfully says that the power of the tech platforms may be perceived as big. HOWEVER the part she doesn't address is WHY giving them the tools for even more accurately micro targeting children is a good idea

Also she doesn't address how children should be protected from parental abuse with all of that mandated surveillance

/cc @EUCommission

#ageverification

🚨 California 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.

Age verification and ID checks cannot be the solutions. They rather destroy everyone's #privacy

The fight against #AgeVerification must continue ✊

Learn more about which countries are planning to ban social media for kids and teenagers: 👉 https://tuta.com/blog/age-verification-kills-anonymity

Alt...

Image shows all the flag icons of the countries that have implemented age verification including California, France, Greece, Australia, Brasil, Turkey, etc.

Alt...

Image shows the number 16 crossed out

🚨It's high time to strip Meta, TikTok, etc. off their privileges! 🚨

On September 16, Ursula von der Leyen must not demand #AgeVerification from social media, but force them to change the algorithm for good for everyone!

Otherwise, Big Tech bosses will decide votes, not the people.

Our opinion: 👉 https://tuta.com/blog/eu-chance-to-force-big-tech

Alt...

Image shows an EU icon vs. Instagram, Facebook, X and TikTok icons

Does anyone have any insights / scoops about the upcoming #EUKidsAct, set to be introduced this Thursday to "age gate" access to social media platforms across the EU? (Thus forcing every citizen to upload their government ID to establish their age)

I'm super worried about the impact on the #OpenSocialWeb and the Fediverse in particular.

🔗 : https://www.politico.eu/article/eu-to-propose-new-legislation-on-minors-protection-on-thursday/

I wish they would share a clear description of the platforms affected by this legislation.

#privacy #AgeVerification #EUBigTech

#Revolut's breach could become more common as more sites have to perform ID verification due to #AgeVerification

"Marc Zeller, one of the customers who published his notice, argued that identity verification requirements leave banks holding large files of identity documents and transaction records that become a liability the moment a request is answered in error."

https://www.internationalcyberdigest.com/revolut-gave-away-customers-data/

@EUCommission @EUCouncil

You're pushing through an age verification law that's just mass surveillance wearing a school uniform. And you think a geriatric figurehead announcing it will somehow make it stick ?

Here's your parting gift, then, the moment that announcement drops, expect a wave of piracy so comprehensive it'll make the early web look like a curated museum.

Every platform, every service, every single thing you try to lock behind an ID check, we'll mirror it. All of it.

You want to verify my age? I'll leave. You force it on me? I'll find another way in. And I'll make sure the know-how is as open as the content you're trying to gate.

You built this on a team that can't tell a checksum from a checkbox. You have no idea what you're walking into.

#privacy #ageverification #bypass

Regarding age verification laws.... If we are about keeping kids safe shouldnt we ban community groups taking photos of children and posting them online. Tbh I got a bigger issue with that. Its not like the kid can consent to it being posted by attending a community event?
#ageverification #auspol #privacy

#California governor signs laws aimed at protecting kids from risks of #SocialMedia, #AI chatbots

https://apnews.com/article/california-social-media-safety-kids-online-harms-6063026d1b54a8537d639605c23aab80

#privacy #AgeVerification

Microsoft is Baking Age Verification Directly into Windows

Avoiding mass government surveillance and censorship is getting harder now that Microsoft is putting it into Windows.

https://www.freezenet.ca/microsoft-is-baking-age-verification-directly-into-windows/

#News #Privacy #Security #AgeVerification #Microsoft #OperatingSystem #PersonalInformation #Windows

ID verification giant #IDScan confirms #DataBreach with more than 150 million driver’s licenses stolen

https://techcrunch.com/2026/09/10/id-verification-giant-idscan-confirms-data-breach-with-more-than-150-million-drivers-licenses-stolen/

#AgeVerification #privacy #cybersecurity #DriversLicense

Still no word on when Discord will implement their global age verification (originally scheduled for March 2026, it was pushed back to the second half of 2026). However, Discord has a new vendor, Incode, and has been running tests with them, so its still happening. #privacy #discord #ageverification

Sources:
https://cybernews.com/privacy/discord-ages-verification-selfies/

https://thecybersecguru.com/news/discord-incode-age-verification-privacy/

IDscan, used for age verification, hacked and leaked.

https://techcrunch.com/2026/09/10/id-verification-giant-idscan-confirms-data-breach-with-more-than-150-million-drivers-licenses-stolen/

#ageverification #cybersecurity #infosec #privacy

#Microsoft adds age-awareness APIs that can tell if users are children, teens, or adults

https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/microsoft/microsoft-adds-age-awareness-apis-that-can-tell-if-users-are-children-teens-or-adults/

#privacy #AgeVerification

Nudity blocking works by scanning ALL your content.

The privacy implications are huge.

And the same goes for the alternative: having to submit your sensitive data in the form of ID uploads or biometric scans to verify you're over 18.

Meanwhile, the age verification industry remains unregulated.

#privacy #surveillance #onlinesafety #ageverification #ukpolitics #ukpol

Cover your bits, the UK government wants to put scanning tech on your phone.

The aim? To prevent kids receiving and sending nudes. But it'll be there as default for everyone, unless you go through age verification to disable it.

It's a disproportionate move that'll compromise privacy and security.

Read our blog ⬇️

https://www.openrightsgroup.org/blog/nudity-scanning-tech-will-leave-us-more-exposed/

#privacy #surveillance #onlinesafety #ageverification #ukpolitics #ukpol

Saskatchewan Government Misleads Public in Social Media Survey

If you ever wondered where the so-called "broad support" for age verification comes from, well, we might have gotten the answer.

https://www.freezenet.ca/saskatchewan-government-misleads-public-in-social-media-survey/

#Censorship #News #AgeVerification #Canada #government #Saskatchewan #SocialMedia #survey

@adisonverlice

Yuppers.

#AgeVerification = equals = #IdentityVerification = equals = #Censorship

#AgeVerification = equals = #IdentityVerification

The Real Reason Behind Online Age Verification Laws

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fHZTeEN2HT0

What does online age verification laws actually have to do with the ENABLING of collecting data from children, China's surveillance and censorship laws, and the profits of companies like Facebook, Apple, and Google? A lot more than you think.

In this episode of Plain Meaning, I break down the real agenda behind the push for operating system age verification. From California's Digital Age Assurance Act to federal proposals in Congress, they have come from the same source. I trace who benefits, what laws get quietly gutted in the process, and why the timing lines up suspiciously with China's own digital surveillance rollout.

What you'll learn:
— Why Apple, Google, Microsoft, and Meta all win if these laws pass
— How age verification effectively nullifies existing laws that protect you and your children like COPPA and the Privacy Act of 1974
— What already happened in the UK under the Online Safety Act — and why it matters for America
— The striking parallels between Apple's product rollouts and China's surveillance
— Why this isn't about protecting kids at all but more about removing the remaining barriers SO THEY CAN TRACK THEM

This is Part 1 of the Plain Meaning 12-part Plain Meaning Special Report. Links to all episodes will appear as they're released.

The Real Reason Behind Online Age Verification Laws
The rest are coming soon...

California's law takes effect January 2027. There is still time — but not much.

#AgeVerification #DigitalPrivacy #OnlineSafety #COPPA #BigTech #ChildOnlineSafety #Surveillance #Apple #Google #Meta #Facebook #DigitalID #PlainMeaning #PrivacyRights #ChinaTech #InternetFreedom #DataPrivacy #OperatingSystem #TechPolicy #ParentsRights #China #PrivacyAct

#AgeVerification #DigitalPrivacy #OnlineSafety

#AgeVerification #NationalID #Surveillance #Censorship #PlainMeaning

"EU Age Verification Project Mandates Hardware-Bound Attestation"
"Flock Pitched a Plan To Turn Uber and Lyft Drivers Into Roaming Surveillance Vehicles"
"Illinois Just Told Every Operating System to Start Reporting Your Kid’s Age"
"Meta’s $17 Billion Settlement is a Bad Deal for Teens and All Social Media Users"

Check out the August news roundup for the full list of headlines.

https://theprivacycloud.substack.com/p/august-2026-privacy-news-roundup

#privacy #security #surveillance #ageverification

Utah’s VPN Ban Law Goes Into Effect… Again

A court order blocking the ridiculous Utah VPN ban/age verification law has expired, allowing it to go back into force.

https://www.freezenet.ca/utahs-vpn-ban-law-goes-into-effect-again/

#Censorship #News #Privacy #Security #AgeVerification #court #lawsuit #legislation #US #Utah #VPN

Age Verification Company IDScan Hacked: 153 Million Drivers Licenses Compromised

IDScan had apparently been compromised for a year as hackers stole people's licenses live as they were added to the database.

https://www.freezenet.ca/age-verification-company-idscan-hacked-153-million-drivers-licenses-compromised/

#News #Privacy #Security #AgeVerification #DriversLicense #hack #IDScan #IDScannet #leak

#Meta's $17 Billion Settlement is a Bad Deal for Teens and All #SocialMedia Users

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2026/09/metas-17-billion-settlement-bad-deal-teens-and-all-social-media-users

#privacy #AgeVerification #Instagram #Facebook

“Meta’s settlement with 52 state attorneys general is a bad deal for all internet users, and especially for teens. That’s what we said the day the settlement was announced.

In this post, we go through the Settlement’s provisions in detail and explain why that is so, including how:

- The Settlement embeds age assurance technology and age-gates into Meta’s social media products and requires all users—minors and adults—to undergo a rights-threatening age estimation process

- The Settlement places severe restrictions on Teens that can largely only be modified by the Teens’ parents and only then in exchange for giving their parents a ton of information about their online community and usage;

- The Settlement seems to empower the attorneys general to enforce Meta’s content restriction on “age inappropriate content,” categories that Meta itself has had trouble administering without excluding information about sexuality, sexual and reproductive healthcare, and abortion medication;

- The Settlement actually requires Meta to collect, analyze, and retain more information about its Teen users—when the pressure should have been on Meta to diminish its surveillance capitalism.

- And the Settlement in no way limits the attorneys general from seeking the user information for their own law enforcement purposes.”

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2026/09/metas-17-billion-settlement-bad-deal-teens-and-all-social-media-users

#SocialMedia #Meta #AgeVerification #Censorship #USA #Surveillance

#EFF to Governor #Newsom: Veto #California’s #AB1709

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2026/08/eff-gov-newsom-veto-californias-ab-1709

#AgeVerification #privacy

#California’s #AgeVerification Bill Passes with #Linux Exemption Intact

https://linuxiac.com/californias-age-verification-bill-passes-with-linux-exemption-intact/

#privacy #FOSS

⋅ California Bill AB-1856 passes - exempting open source from age verification

− https://www.gamingonlinux.com/2026/08/california-bill-ab-1856-passes-exempting-open-source-from-age-verification/

#OpenSource #AgeVerification

California has just exempted Open Source from age verification. While a step in the right direction, self-certification is still a pointless data-collection exercise.
#opensource #ageverification
https://www.tomshardware.com/software/linux/california-lawmakers-unanimously-pass-linux-exemption-from-age-verification-law-software-distributed-under-the-gpl-mit-bsd-and-apache-licenses-are-exempt

This is NOT a victory, this probably makes OSS a second class citizen once websites and services require age verification integration points.

Not to mention this is just a delay tactic, they hope the nerds go back to sleep and don't talk about our rights being eroded.

https://mastodon.cisti.org/@roughconsensusandrunningcode/117183754787248539

#AgeVerification #CA #OSS #Linux

New Zealand Pushing for Failed Age Verification Law

New Zealand lawmakers have announced that they are stupid enough to table age verification legislation.

https://www.freezenet.ca/new-zealand-pushing-for-failed-age-verification-law/

#Censorship #News #Privacy #Security #AgeVerification #fail #legislation #NewZealand

I see the #ageVerification backlash is getting heated.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/politics/articles/texas-man-arrested-ranting-age-161532035.html

I'm not saying we should start stabbing each other, but this guy is right to be angry—age verification is a menace to society, not to mention a flagrant violation of American values—and a flood of irate voicemails from outraged constituents would do wonders in getting age verification laws repealed and settlements renegotiated.

I need everyone to understand that there are exactly zero ways to verify someone's age online that don't involve putting millions of innocent people in danger of physical violence and/or forcing them to become hermits.

Doing this in a safe and responsible way is *fundamentally impossible*. No, your favorite method is not an exception. The whole idea is bad, full stop. Launch it into the sun.

#AgeVerification

French Top Court Gets It Right, Strikes Down #SocialMediaBan For Youths

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2026/08/french-top-court-gets-it-right-strikes-down-social-media-ban-youths

#France #privacy #AgeVerification

#NewZealand PM introduces under-16 #SocialMedia and #AI companion ban

https://www.jurist.org/news/2026/08/new-zealand-pm-introduces-under-16-social-media-and-ai-companion-ban/#

#privacy #AgeVerification #SocialMediaBan

#EFF explains exactly why #ZeroKnowledgeProof as #AgeVerification is not safe, and is even more dangerous than typical age-verification schemes in that, not only does it still invade the privacy of your home, it also vests power in a single company or government agency to ban you from all of society—to un-person you—whenever it pleases.

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2026/08/zkps-arent-age-verification-silver-bullets

It's just another censorship/surveillance scheme, no better than any other and in some ways worse.

Complain to your representatives!

"Age verification (laws and regulations requiring platforms and websites to assure or estimate that a user seeking to use an online service is of a certain age) is everywhere. At the time of writing, about half the states in the US have some internet age verification law in place, and dangerous proposals, from the KIDS Act to the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA), have been advancing at the federal level. European Union member states are moving toward having age verification in a centralized app by the end of this year. Australia famously now has one extremely broad restriction in place.

Most age verification laws tend to fail at their primary goal of barring kids from being online or from entering only specially designated zones, not to mention they pose a significant threat to everyone’s privacy. Some proponents of these age-based internet restrictions think they've found the silver bullet: Zero-Knowledge Proofs (ZKPs). We wrote about ZKP’s when they were first rolled out in the age verification context last year. However, more recent examples show our concerns weren’t just conjecture; ZKP-focused AV schemes are gameable, hackable, and not the cure-all some may claim."

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2026/08/zkps-arent-age-verification-silver-bullets

#AgeVerification #USA #Privacy #Surveillance #ZKP #EU #SocialMedia #PoliceState #Censorship

Zero Knowledge Proofs Aren’t #AgeVerification Silver Bullets

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2026/08/zkps-arent-age-verification-silver-bullets

#privacy #ZKP

Canada’s Age Verification Bill Was Always an Unconstitutional Mess

On the heels of the French court ruling, some are wondering is Canada's version is going to share the same fate. Yes.

https://www.freezenet.ca/canadas-age-verification-bill-was-always-an-unconstitutional-mess/

#Censorship #LawAndTechnology #News #Privacy #Security #AgeVerification #BillC34 #Canada #CanadianCharterOfRightsAndFreedoms #court #France

French Court Rules Social Media Age Verification Infringes Privacy, Freedom of Expression

In a rare bit of good news, Frances top court ruled against age verification for it's obvious constitutional violations.

https://www.freezenet.ca/french-court-rules-social-media-age-verification-infringes-privacy-freedom-of-expression/

#Censorship #LawAndTechnology #News #AgeVerification #court #France #ruling #SocialMedia

#France's top court blocks #SocialMediaBan for under-15s

https://www.reuters.com/world/frances-top-court-rules-social-media-ban-curtails-freedom-expression-2026-08-14/

#privacy #AgeVerification

Young people have their say: rethink the UK social media ban.

It makes a bad situation worse. Teens are just being pushed into unregulated spaces.

A ban does nothing to actually tackle the cause of online harms coming from the business model of the platforms themselves.

That’s what we need to fix.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/prime-minister-burnham-uk-government-scotland-keir-starmer-b3031838.html

#socialmediaban #ageverification #bigtech #onlinesafety #ukpolitics #ukpol

Surprising good news from 🇫🇷 !

"France's Constitutional Council strikes down social media ban for under-15s"

🔗 : https://www.lemonde.fr/en/pixels/article/2026/08/14/france-s-constitutional-council-strikes-down-ban-on-social-media-for-under-15s_6756507_13.html

"In its decision, the Constitutional Council raised concerns about the possible impact on privacy from instituting an age-verification system for all users."

Wow! I was not expecting this at all.

#privacy #AgeVerification #France

XBox Rolling Out Age Verification for Australian Gamers

Age verification continues to spread. This time, Australians are going to see it for their XBox gaming.

https://www.freezenet.ca/xbox-rolling-out-age-verification-for-australian-gamers/

#Censorship #News #AgeVerification #Australia #console #gaming #store #surveillance #XBox

Illinois Just Passed a Law That Puts Linux on the Hook for Age Verification

https://linuxstans.com/illinois-hb5511-operating-system-age-verification/

Comments: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49249150

#HackerNews #Illinois #Law #Linux #AgeVerification #TechNews

#EU #AgeVerification Project Mandates Hardware-Bound Attestation

https://linuxiac.com/eu-age-verification-project-mandates-hardware-bound-attestation/

#privacy #Europe

U.S. Senate Vote: Four Internet Bills, One Wrong Direction

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2026/08/senate-vote-tomorrow-four-internet-bills-one-wrong-direction

#privacy #KOSA #SCREENAct #YouthAIPrivacyAct #CHATBOTAct #politics #AgeVerification

#WhatsApp is Testing #AgeVerification

https://www.privacyguides.org/news/2026/08/04/whatsapp-is-testing-age-verification/

#Meta #privacy #India

US Senators Pushing Failed Age Verification Law, the SCREEN Act

The US is looking to be the next country to jump off the age verification cliff through failed age verification laws.

https://www.freezenet.ca/us-senators-pushing-failed-age-verification-law-the-screen-act/

#Censorship #News #AgeVerification #SCREENAct #SocialMedia #US #VPN

The #SCREENAct is a Christian Nationalist Nightmare

https://www.404media.co/what-is-the-screen-act-age-verification-porn/

#privacy #AgeVerification #FreeSpeech

The Senate Should Reject #KOSA's #Privacy Risks

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2026/08/senate-should-reject-kosas-privacy-risks

#AgeVerification