Age Verification Scares: Critics Predict Global 'Age-Gating' Crackdown Sweeping Internet Access
Widespread liability fears driving mandatory age verification, citing examples like the UK's Online Safety Act and Canada's Bill S-209, threaten to fundamentally restrict internet access.
The raw takes suggest these laws function less as child protection tools and more as infrastructure for surveillance. 'JustEnoughDucks' asserts the goal is data collection for law enforcement tracking, not safety. 'Mordikan' zeroes in on financial gain, claiming the true objective is selling refined user data to advertisers. Meanwhile, 'artyom' warns of a complete collapse of online accessibility, forcing sites into total age-gating. This sentiment is echoed by 'MissesAutumnRains', who flags a 'Chilling Effect' expanding censorship beyond explicit content to political speech.
The community consensus sees a massive erosion of digital freedom. The primary fault line is whether these laws are genuine safety nets or corporate/state mechanisms designed for total data harvesting and control. The potential for centralized identity pools to be exploited by predators, as 'JustEnoughDucks' warned, dominates the alarm bell ringing across the discussion.
Key Points
#1Age verification acts as a barrier to non-normative content.
The consensus warns that 'age-gating' will restrict access to LGBTQIA+ or dissenting political viewpoints.
#2Laws facilitate surveillance infrastructure, not just safety.
'JustEnoughDucks' argues the mechanism is built for law enforcement to gather traceable evidence.
#3Financial motives drive data collection.
'Mordikan' states the core aim is providing advertisers with highly traceable user data for profit.
#4The internet will become prohibitively restrictive.
'artyom' predicts websites will become too heavily liable to maintain any accessibility for adults or children.
#5The law poses a legal and operational risk.
'non_burglar' points out the legal weakness, comparing it to an OS maker not being liable for user choice.
Source Discussions (3)
This report was synthesized from the following Lemmy discussions, ranked by community score.