Upload government papers to go online? That's our terrifying future | Aliya Bhatia

"More than 25 states, and multiple countries, have enacted laws requiring mixed-audience websites to verify users' ages to prevent access by children. Some of these laws target adult content providers explicitly while others apply these requirements to a wide array of websites, from Google search to Coursera to the New York Times. Simultaneously, social media bans for kids proposed around the world, ranging from Canada to India, and enacted in other countries like Australia, require platforms to verify all users' ages so they can restrict access to minors."

"Age verification fundamentally expands data collected on all users. And although pitched as a common-sense policy to protect children online, it erodes safety for all users. Age verification will require users to hand over data before being granted access to online spaces. Some platforms may require government ID to prove age while others may collect and process other sensitive data believed to be a proxy for age, such as face scans or search queries."

"Either way, users will have to provide more information about themselves to access the web, jeopardizing their anonymity online. Though age verification providers and platforms they work with promise that this information is collected with the sole intent of assigning age and nothing more, recent data breaches have already shown how easily this data can be inappropriately accessed and used. Numerous age verification providers have faced data breaches because of how lucrative this data is."

"Due to a data breach, one journalist was able to link a user's post on an anonymous discussion board to their driver's license in 10 minutes. And it is only a matter of time before governments begin requesting users' identifyi"

Age verification requirements are spreading across many states and countries, applying to mixed-audience websites and social media platforms. Laws and proposed bans for minors aim to prevent children from accessing content by requiring platforms to verify users’ ages. Verification may involve government ID or other sensitive data such as face scans or search-query-based proxies for age. These measures expand the amount of personal data collected before access is granted, weakening anonymity online. Data breaches involving age verification providers show that collected information can be accessed or misused. A reported case linked an anonymous post to a driver’s license within minutes, illustrating how quickly identity data can be exploited. Governments may also seek identity information over time.

Read at www.theguardian.com