A coalition of 371 security and privacy researchers from 29 countries is raising alarm about the growing push for online age verification laws. In an open letter, these experts warned that the systems governments are proposing could create a vast surveillance infrastructure disguised as child protection. The concern is straightforward: enforcing age verification at scale would require users to prove their identity through government-issued identification for routine online activity. According to the researchers, this would fundamentally alter the open nature of the internet, tying personal identity to everything from reading articles to sending private messages.

Technology companies are already preparing for the shift. Platforms such as OpenAI, Roblox, and Discord have begun implementing age-check mechanisms in anticipation of regulatory mandates. But the researchers argue that the consequences could be far-reaching. Identity verification systems would centralize control of the internet in the hands of a few powerful corporations capable of operating such infrastructure. Meanwhile, enforcement mechanisms could lead governments to ban tools like VPNs that allow individuals—especially journalists and dissidents—to communicate privately. In effect, what begins as a policy aimed at protecting children could evolve into a global identity gate for the digital world.

SOURCE: Reclaim the Net