Global Push for Online Age Verification Sparks Censorship and Privacy Concerns
Originally Published 5 months ago — by Electronic Frontier Foundation
The UK’s new Online Safety Act has led to widespread censorship and privacy issues on platforms like Reddit, forcing users to submit sensitive ID or face being locked out, which raises concerns about increased surveillance, censorship, and ineffective protection for minors. The chaos and technical flaws in the rollout serve as a warning for similar legislation in the US, where expanding age verification could threaten free speech and privacy rights. Advocacy groups urge Americans to oppose such laws to prevent similar consequences.