EU Commission Proposes Sweeping Age Verification Requirements

• The EU Commission is preparing the 'EU Kids Act,' which mandates widespread age verification across social media, games, chatbots, and app stores.
• The legislation requires users to verify their age through government-backed identity tools, effectively ending anonymous internet access for both minors and adults.
• Parents would be required to prove their identity and legal guardianship to authorize accounts for children under 15, creating new surveillance infrastructures.

Scope of Restrictions

• Social Media: Users under 18 face restricted features, while those 15 and older require accounts with mandatory age checks.
• Apps and Services: Platforms like Steam, Roblox, ChatGPT, and app stores must implement 'age assurance' measures, potentially utilizing biometric scanning or ID-based verification.
• Parental Control: Parents would be limited to authorizing usage for at most one hour per day and would need to approve all new contacts for their children.

Concerns and Criticisms

• Privacy and Rights: Civil liberties groups, including the Chaos Computer Club and D64, warn the policy forces mass surveillance and harms the fundamental rights of children and adults.
• Technical Feasibility: The draft includes confusing references to 'zero knowledge proof' as a mandatory standard, signaling potential gaps in technical expertise.
• Social Impact: Critics argue that restricting access harms young people who rely on online communities for support, particularly those without safe or stable home environments.
• Unintended Consequences: By targeting 'addictive' design, the policy attempts to mitigate harm but ignores that these design patterns remain problematic for users of all ages.