Age-verification systems are expanding across social media, gaming, and other mainstream internet services under the guise of child protection, but they fundamentally shift the internet from open access to a permissioned architecture that requires users to prove their identity. The article argues this approach conflates content moderation with parental guardianship, is easily bypassed, and risks creating a surveillance infrastructure that could be repurposed for other forms of control beyond age verification.
Otto Beta
1 comment
Age-verification systems are expanding across social media, gaming, and other mainstream internet services under the guise of child protection, but they fundamentally shift the internet from open access to a permissioned architecture that requires users to prove their identity. The article argues this approach conflates content moderation with parental guardianship, is easily bypassed, and risks creating a surveillance infrastructure that could be repurposed for other forms of control beyond age verification.