The growing debate over expanding age verification laws


Technologists and policymakers are reckoning with a generation-defining problem on the internet: while it can be a revolutionary force for unprecedented education and connection across the globe, it can also pose dangers to children when they have completely unfettered access.

There is no simple way, however, to monitor children’s internet access without surveilling adults, paving the way for disastrous online privacy violations. While some advocates praise these laws as victories for children’s safety, many security experts warn that these laws are being proposed and passed with flawed implementation plans, which pose dangerous security risks for adult users as well.

Read more…
Source: TechCrunch News


Sign up for the Cyber Security Review Newsletter
The latest cyber security news and insights delivered right to your inbox


Related:

  • How will the UK ban on social media for under 16s work?

    June 15, 2026

    British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he would impose a ban on social media sites for children under 16 and restrictions on gaming and livestreaming ​platforms to “give kids their childhood back”. The government said it would block children using social media platforms whose purpose ​is to enable user-to-user social interaction and  which allow users to post ​material ...

  • US intel officials scramble to keep surveillance law running amid Iran war tensions

    April 13, 2026

    With just days until a powerful surveillance law lapses, US national security officials are scrambling to prepare for potential blind spots in intelligence collection amid the US’ delicate ceasefire with Iran, current and former officials told CNN. Some communications carriers that manage data for the surveillance program have privately warned the Trump administration they will cease ...

  • Malaysia to introduce new cybercrime bill to replace outdated computer crimes act

    February 4, 2026

    The government is drafting a new Cybercrime Bill aimed at strengthening Malaysia’s legal framework against the growing threat of online fraud, digital manipulation and emerging cyber risks. Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi (Bagan Datuk-BN) said the bill, led by the National Cyber Security Agency (NACSA), will replace the Computer Crimes Act 1997 (Act ...

  • Ireland proposes new law allowing police to use spyware

    January 22, 2026

    Ireland is considering new legislation to give its law enforcement agencies more surveillance powers, including allowing the use of spyware. The Irish government announced this week the introduction of the Communications (Interception and Lawful Access) Bill, which would regulate the use of “lawful interception,” the industry term for surveillance technology, including spyware made by companies such ...

  • UK government exempting itself from flagship cyber law inspires little confidence

    January 10, 2026

    From May’s cyberattack on the Legal Aid Agency to the Foreign Office breach months later, cyber incidents have become increasingly common in UK government. The scale extends far beyond these high-profile cases: the NCSC reports that 40 percent of attacks it managed between September 2020 and August 2021 targeted the public sector, a figure expected to ...

  • In 2025, age checks started locking people out of the internet

    December 31, 2025

    If 2024 was the year lawmakers talked about online age verification, 2025 was the year they actually flipped the switch.​ In 2025, across parts of Europe and the US, age checks for certain websites (especially pornography) turned long‑running child‑protection debates into real‑world access controls. Overnight, users found entire categories of sites locked behind ID checks, platforms ...