Ben Lovejoy for 9to5Mac:
A growing number of countries around the world are enacting bans or restrictions on the use of social media apps by children.
The UK has just announced its own plan to join the list, with a comprehensive ban set to be introduced early next year.
I've seen a lot of praise for this, and it couldn't be more detached from reality. This is being called "age verification," but it's actually a play for the entire world to identify itself before using the internet. How exactly do you think this gets enforced? By requiring everyone (not just kids) to hand over their ID to a pile of "verification" services that now know who you are and what you're reading.
From the BBC News article that 9to5Mac links to:
The government said "highly effective age assurance" measures would be used to check the age of those using social media.
This typically involves requiring companies to use tech that accurately estimates or verifies someone's age – such as face scans or asking for ID.
That's the part nobody praising this seems to clock. Face scans and ID checks aren't a kids' safety feature with a side effect; they're an identity layer bolted onto the open internet, and once it exists, it doesn't stay scoped to "is this a 14-year-old."
It's no coincidence this is gaining steam in the wake of the genocide in Gaza. It's inseparable. The ruling classes of the West watched young people get radicalized by atrocities they could see plainly on their phones, and this is the answer: surveil the dissent, call it child protection. Make no mistake.