EFF Launches Resource Hub to Combat Age Verification Laws and Protect Online Privacy
By
heavyset_go
Kettled twice. Extra chewy, extra trustworthy.
Summary
The article discusses the rapid proliferation of age verification laws across the U.S. and globally, arguing that while these laws claim to protect children, they actually create harmful censorship and surveillance regimes that endanger both adults and young people. The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) is launching a resource hub to help users understand these laws, their implications, and how to fight back against them. The article explains various age verification technologies, their privacy risks, and advocates for alternative approaches to online safety that don't compromise privacy and free expression.
Key quotes
· 4 pulledAge verification laws are proliferating fast across the United States and around the world, creating a dangerous and confusing tangle of rules about what we're all allowed to see and do online.
Though these mandates claim to protect children, in practice they create harmful censorship and surveillance regimes that put everyone—adults and young people alike—at risk.
The term 'age verification' is colloquially used to describe a wide range of age assurance technologies, from age verification systems that force you to upload government ID, to age estimation tools that scan your face.
That's why today, we're launching EFF.org/Age, a one-stop shop for users seeking to understand what these laws actually do, what's at stake, why EFF opposes all forms of age verification, how to protect yourself, and how to join the fight for a free, open, private, and yes—safe—internet.
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