Social media bans for under-16s threaten everyone's privacy

In an op-ed for The Spectator, Maya Thomas, Legal and Policy Officer for Big Brother Watch, warns that proposed government legislation to ban or restrict social media access for young people functions as a Trojan horse for mandatory digital identification. As parliament considers a range of measures, Thomas argues that such bans cannot be enforced without requiring every user to undergo invasive biometric face scans or digital identity uploads. The article highlights that biometric age verification is often inaccurate, particularly for those with facial disabilities or non-white users, who face a higher risk of being forced to provide formal ID. As a consequence, Thomas predicts these algorithms could become the arbiters of internet access.

While acknowledging the importance of managing children's internet use, Thomas suggests that the government's multi-billion-pound national digital ID scheme is being positioned to solve a problem created by this legislation. Furthermore, true online safety for children must include the protection of their cybersecurity, data privacy, and freedom of expression, all of which are threatened by the move toward universal age verification and the resulting erosion of online anonymity.

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