In summary:
- Over 350 security experts from 30 countries signed an open letter warning against broad age verification protocols for social media platforms.
- PCWorld reports that experts fear these measures could increase VPN usage and compromise privacy, particularly harming users in authoritarian countries.
- France plans to introduce a 15-year age limit for social media, but security professionals argue such regulations may cause more technological and societal harm than good.
Following in the wake of the Discord age verification controversy, over 350 security experts (comprising researchers and academics) from 30 countries have signed an open letter [PDF] warning of the risks of introducing age verification protocols without careful consideration.
“We share the concerns about the negative effects that exposure to harmful content online has on children, and we applaud that regulators dedicate time and effort to protect them. However, we fear that, if implemented without careful consideration of the technological hazards and societal impact, the new regulation might cause more harm than good,” the open letter states.
A broad rollout of age verification would also lead to increased use of VPN services, and if those were to be banned, it would be a severe blow to privacy-conscious users living in authoritarian countries. According to Politico, France will introduce an age limit of 15 for social media as early as September, with Germany, Denmark, and Spain next in line.
Further reading: The best VPNs, rated and ranked
This article originally appeared on our sister publication PC för Alla and was translated and localized from Swedish.
Author: Mikael Markander, Contributor, PCWorld
Mikael writes news across all our consumer tech categories. He has previously worked with Macworld, but today mainly writes for our sister sites PC för Alla and M3. Mikael has a firm grasp on which gadgets are released, and what is happening with the streaming services and the latest AI tools.