Online Age Checks Create a Pointless Privacy Risk

When a bartender checks an ID, they quickly verify a customer’s date of birth and identity before serving them.

Companies that employ online age verification claim their products function the same way on the web. That bartender analogy has, in part, justified laws passed in twenty-five US states — comprising more than 40% of Americans — mandating the use of digital age verification to gate access across social media and adult content online. Further regulation, targeting social media sites, is currently in process in a number of states.