The Illusion of Parental Control

Many proposed solutions center around parental consent, requiring parents to verify their children’s ages. However, this approach immediately encounters a fundamental flaw: establishing definitive parentage. How can online services reliably confirm an individual is, in fact, a child’s parent, and specifically the parent with the legal right to provide consent? Building a security framework on such shaky ground is inherently problematic.

What Constitutes ‘Age-Limited’ Content?

Pornography and online gambling are often cited as clear-cut examples of content requiring age restrictions. But the definition of what necessitates age verification is far from universally agreed upon. In the physical world, age restrictions govern access to alcohol, tobacco, driving privileges, and more – all dispensed at the point of sale. Online, however, the lines become blurred. Early attempts to regulate movies, music, and video games demonstrated the challenges of effective age gating, even with broadly accepted restrictions.

The Expanding Universe of ‘Problematic’ Content

The real danger lies in the expansion of what “some” deem age-limited. Who are these arbiters of online access, and what criteria do they employ? The resulting patchwork of regulations will inevitably lead to inconsistencies, with content restricted in one jurisdiction but freely available in another. This opens the door to censorship and the suppression of information on sensitive topics. Consider the following:

• Abortion (information, consulting, or services)
• Sexual Health
• Self-harm
• Addiction
• Trauma
• Telehealth
• Weight advice
• LGBTQ+ resources
• Sex education and reproductive health
• Domestic violence, sexual assault
• Emotional abuse
• Child abuse or neglect
• Homelessness
• Poverty
• ADHD
• Chronic pain
• Autoimmune disorders
• Emancipation or foster care

The issue isn’t the existence of this information, but the chilling effect of requiring age verification for access. Simply seeking information could expose individuals to scrutiny, potentially criminalizing curiosity or research. Is intellectual exploration a crime? Even in regions where an act is illegal, mere interest in it shouldn’t be punishable.

The Age Verification Service: A Potential Surveillance Tool

Discussions surrounding the design and standardization of age verification services are underway, largely driven by service providers seeking to offload the burden of age gating. However, a critical aspect is often overlooked: the need to isolate the verification service from knowing why an age assertion is being made. An age verification service shouldn’t become a conduit for government surveillance, capable of revealing individuals seeking information on sensitive topics like abortion.

Governments will inevitably seek access to this data, just as they demand encryption backdoors. Therefore, any viable solution must be “blinded” in both directions. The Age Verification Service must operate without any audit trail whatsoever. A system that occasionally fails to restrict access is far preferable to one that exposes the privacy of its entire user base. Privacy principles must be paramount.

App stores, like Apple and Google, are facing increasing pressure to provide these services. If they prioritize easy use-cases, they risk overlooking these fundamental privacy concerns. Once a solution, however flawed, is implemented, it will be widely adopted.

What happens when a user seeks information about managing chronic pain? Or accessing resources for LGBTQ+ youth? Will that data be logged, potentially used against them? These are the questions we must address before implementing widespread age verification systems.

Did You Know? The principle of “privacy by design” suggests that privacy considerations should be integrated into the development of technologies and systems from the outset, rather than being added as an afterthought.

Do we truly understand the long-term consequences of creating a digital record of individuals’ interests and information-seeking behavior? And how can we ensure that this technology isn’t weaponized against vulnerable populations?

Frequently Asked Questions

• What is the primary concern regarding age verification online?
  The primary concern is the potential for privacy violations and governmental overreach, extending beyond the initial goal of protecting children from harmful content.
• Why is parental consent not a foolproof solution for age verification?
  Verifying parentage online is inherently difficult, and relying on parental consent alone creates a weak link in the security chain.
• What types of sensitive topics could be unfairly restricted by age verification systems?
  A wide range of topics, including sexual health, mental health, LGBTQ+ resources, and even information about chronic illnesses, could be subject to age restrictions.
• How can age verification services be designed to protect user privacy?
  Age verification services must be “blinded” – they should not know the reason for the age assertion and must not maintain any audit trails.
• What role do app stores play in the development of age verification technologies?
  App stores are being challenged to provide age verification services, and their approach will significantly impact the future of online privacy.