Academics warn of danger in rushing age verification requirements

An open letter signed by 371 security and privacy academics from 29 countries has urged governments to halt the introduction of online age verification until significant privacy and security risks are addressed. The appeal comes as countries, including the UK, France, and Germany, consider or mandate restrictions on children's access to social media. Current methods typically require users to provide a live selfie for AI analysis or upload government identification.

The signatories, including Turing Award winner Ronald Rivest, argue that these digital checks are more intrusive than offline equivalents. Unlike physical ID checks, online verification requires all users, including adults, to verify their identity to access basic services such as messaging friends and family, reading news, or searching for information. The letter warns that such systems often lack inherent privacy protections, potentially exposing users to malware, scams, or the excessive collection of personal data by service providers.

Furthermore, the experts claim these measures are easily bypassed using VPNs, deepfakes, or borrowed credentials. They contend that effective implementation would require a complex, global cryptographic infrastructure that does not currently exist and which many providers might refuse to adopt due to increased service friction. The academics conclude that deploying age-assurance technologies is dangerous and socially unacceptable until a scientific consensus is reached regarding their impact on equality, privacy, and security. They maintain that, in their current state, these tools cannot guarantee the exclusion of minors from harmful content or prevent adults from entering protected children's spaces.

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