ORG warns teenagers' rights are under threat as CWSB returns to Parliament

Ahead of its return to the House of Lords on 25 March, the Open Rights Group (ORG) have warned that last-minute amendments to the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill (CWSB) could significantly impact privacy and freedom of expression in the UK. 

In a briefing paper, ORG highlights amendment 38B of the CWSB, which could grant ministers the power to require individuals aged 13 or over to use specific age-verification methods, such as government-issued digital IDs or unregulated age-ID services, to access internet platforms. Under the proposals, ORG ministers could potentially override what the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) or Ofcom consider a suitable age verification method, forcing teenagers to undergo biometric face scans, behaviour-based tracking, or the submission of identity documents without traditional safeguards. 

ORG is also concerned about the lack of time for parliamentary scrutiny and the government's refusal to regulate the growing age assurance industry. As a consequence, ORG is backing a further amendment proposed by Liberty to reintroduce a proportionality requirement, aiming to prevent the disproportionate processing of children's data and the establishment of invasive online ID checkpoints.

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