When No ID Means No Internet: Age Verification and the Right to Access Information
This post was co-authored by Sheila B. Lalwani, a doctorate student and recent COMPASS Fellow hosted by EFF. Age verification proposals are often presented as a simple tradeoff: sacrifice a little privacy to better safeguard children online. But that framing overlooks a more fundamental question. What happens to people who cannot verify their age at all? This is particularly a problem when users are required to prove their age with identity documents. Age-related restrictions are developing quickly around the world. While they differ radically across jurisdictions, in the past year, we’ve wit…
Who should care: General readers · Privacy officers · Policy
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