No age verification! Security experts sign open letter, warning of risks
Following the Discord age verification controversy, more than 350 security experts (including researchers and academics) from 30 countries signed an open letter. [PDF] warning of the risks of introducing age verification protocols without careful consideration.
“We share concerns about the negative effects of exposure to harmful content online on children, and we welcome the fact that regulators are spending time and effort to protect them. However, we are concerned that, if implemented without careful consideration of technological risks and societal impact, the new regulations may cause more harm than good,” the open letter said.
Wide deployment of age verification would also lead to increased usage of VPN services, and if those were to be banned, it would be a blow to privacy-conscious users living in authoritarian countries. According to Politico, France will introduce a 15-year-old age limit for social media from September, followed by Germany, Denmark and Spain.
Further reading: The best VPNs, rated and ranked
