Age verification: Difference between revisions

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==How it works==

=== Online Platform Age Verification ===

===Online Platform Age Verification===

When accessing a platform or website that may contain content not suitable for all audiences may force you to register for the platform along with verifying your age by one of the methods mentioned previously. Sites that likely don't use any form of account system will probably have a popup instead requiring you to verify your age before even serving the content you were trying to access.

=== Operating System Age Verification ===

===Operating System Age Verification===

New legislation now mandates [[wikipedia:Operating_system|operating systems (OS)]] to block the user until they verify their age. This is done "for convenience" so that apps and websites don't individually prompt the user, instead those apps/websites can just query the platform (e.g. OS, web-browser, etc...) without the user noticing.

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Recent studies evidenced practices done by the Online Safety Act legislation are poorly effective as many users managed to reach to VPNs and bypasses in order to protect their privacy online {{Citation needed}}. Children might use their parents' IDs or credit cards to circumvent the systems and have access to mature content. {{Citation needed}}

===Limitation of control over owned devices===

Age verification methods that are done at the operating system level, such as how it is done on [[Apple introduces OS-level age verification|iOS]] in some regions, prevent the device owner, even if they're an adult, to freely use their device unless they send sensitive data online. This also prevents parents from configuring their children's devices to their liking or to create different profiles in case a device is used by multiple people.{{Citation needed}}

~~===Anti-ownership practices and limitation of control over the device===~~

===Threat to Free and Open Source Software (FOSS)===

Age verification methods that are done at the operating system level, such as how it is done on [[Apple introduces OS-level age verification|iOS]] in some regions, prevent the device owner, even if they're an adult, to freely use their device unless they send sensitive data online. This also prevent parents to configure their children devices to their liking or to create different profiles in case a device is used by multiple people.{{Citation needed}}

Age verification, especially identity verification, are fundamentally incompatible with the four essential freedoms of [[Free software movement|free software]]. Legislation that mandates nationwide operating system age verification could outlaw GNU/Linux, consolidating monopolistic power to proprietary operating systems<ref>{{Cite web |last=Trevino |first=Sam |date=2026-03-06 |title=Age Assurance Laws and the End of General Purpose Computing |url=https://samtrevino.substack.com/p/age-assurance-laws-and-the-end-of |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.org/details/age-assurance-laws-and-the-end-of-general-purpose-computing-report |archive-date=2026-03-11 |access-date=2026-05-01}}</ref>.

=== Threat to Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) ===

Age verification, especially identity verification, are fundamentally incompatible with the four essential freedoms of ~~free~~ software~~<ref>{{Cite web |date=2026-01-28 |title=What is Free Software? |url=https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-sw.html |url-status=live~~ |~~archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260426185514/https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/~~free~~-sw.html |archive-date=2026-04-26 |access-date=2026-05-01 |website=GNU Operating System}}</ref>~~. Legislation that mandates nationwide operating system age verification could outlaw GNU/Linux, consolidating monopolistic power to proprietary operating systems<ref>{{Cite web |last=Trevino |first=Sam |date=2026-03-06 |title=Age Assurance Laws and the End of General Purpose Computing |url=https://samtrevino.substack.com/p/age-assurance-laws-and-the-end-of |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.org/details/age-assurance-laws-and-the-end-of-general-purpose-computing-report |archive-date=2026-03-11 |access-date=2026-05-01}}</ref>.

==Methods==

There are various methods used to verify and check the age of an user, ~~but~~ these ~~are~~ the most common:

There are various methods used to verify and check the age of an user, being these the most common ones:

*'''ID check''': The most privacy-invasive method and the riskiest of all. It consists of sending a picture of a government-issued ID, a passport or a drivers licence.

*'''Age attestation''': Consists of establishing the user's birthdate on their account or profile.

*'''ID check''': The most privacy-invasive method and the riskiest of all. It consists of sending a picture of a government-issued ID, a passport or a drivers licence.

*'''Live selfie''': It consists of a live recording of the user's face. It has been questioned for its effectiveness and accuracy.

'''*Credit card check''': Less privacy-invasive than an ID check or a live selfie, but very problematic because of potential card theft if a data leak occurs.

*'''Credit card check''': Less privacy-invasive than an ID check or a live selfie, but very problematic because of potential card theft if a data leak occurs.

'''Behavior prediction''': Used by some social media to estimate the user's age by its behavior on the platform using algorithms.

*'''Behavior prediction''': Used by some social media to estimate the user's age by its behavior on the platform using algorithms.

==Examples==

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*[https://www.eff.org/pages/age-verification-bills-are-unconstitutional EFF explains how OS-level age-verification is unconstitutional]

*[https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/8250/all-info All Information (Except Text) for H.R.8250 - Parents Decide Act]

*[https://csa-scientist-open-letter.org/ageverif-Feb2026| Joint statement of scientists and researchers on Age Assurance - Open letter signed by academics, warning about age verification risks]

==See also==

@@ Line 10: / Line 10: @@
 ==How it works==
-=== Online Platform Age Verification ===
+===Online Platform Age Verification===
 When accessing a platform or website that may contain content not suitable for all audiences may force you to register for the platform along with verifying your age by one of the methods mentioned previously. Sites that likely don't use any form of account system will probably have a popup instead requiring you to verify your age before even serving the content you were trying to access.
-=== Operating System Age Verification ===
+===Operating System Age Verification===
 New legislation now mandates [[wikipedia:Operating_system|operating systems (OS)]] to block the user until they verify their age. This is done "for convenience" so that apps and websites don't individually prompt the user, instead those apps/websites can just query the platform (e.g. OS, web-browser, etc...) without the user noticing.
@@ Line 69: / Line 68: @@
 Recent studies evidenced practices done by the Online Safety Act legislation are poorly effective as many users managed to reach to VPNs and bypasses in order to protect their privacy online {{Citation needed}}. Children might use their parents' IDs or credit cards to circumvent the systems and have access to mature content. {{Citation needed}}
+===Limitation of control over owned devices===
+Age verification methods that are done at the operating system level, such as how it is done on [[Apple introduces OS-level age verification|iOS]] in some regions, prevent the device owner, even if they're an adult, to freely use their device unless they send sensitive data online. This also prevents parents from configuring their children's devices to their liking or to create different profiles in case a device is used by multiple people.{{Citation needed}}
-===Anti-ownership practices and limitation of control over the device===
+===Threat to Free and Open Source Software (FOSS)===
-Age verification methods that are done at the operating system level, such as how it is done on [[Apple introduces OS-level age verification|iOS]] in some regions, prevent the device owner, even if they're an adult, to freely use their device unless they send sensitive data online. This also prevent parents to configure their children devices to their liking or to create different profiles in case a device is used by multiple people.{{Citation needed}}
+Age verification, especially identity verification, are fundamentally incompatible with the four essential freedoms of [[Free software movement|free software]]. Legislation that mandates nationwide operating system age verification could outlaw GNU/Linux, consolidating monopolistic power to proprietary operating systems<ref>{{Cite web |last=Trevino |first=Sam |date=2026-03-06 |title=Age Assurance Laws and the End of General Purpose Computing |url=https://samtrevino.substack.com/p/age-assurance-laws-and-the-end-of |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.org/details/age-assurance-laws-and-the-end-of-general-purpose-computing-report |archive-date=2026-03-11 |access-date=2026-05-01}}</ref>.
-=== Threat to Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) ===
-Age verification, especially identity verification, are fundamentally incompatible with the four essential freedoms of free software<ref>{{Cite web |date=2026-01-28 |title=What is Free Software? |url=https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-sw.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260426185514/https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-sw.html |archive-date=2026-04-26 |access-date=2026-05-01 |website=GNU Operating System}}</ref>. Legislation that mandates nationwide operating system age verification could outlaw GNU/Linux, consolidating monopolistic power to proprietary operating systems<ref>{{Cite web |last=Trevino |first=Sam |date=2026-03-06 |title=Age Assurance Laws and the End of General Purpose Computing |url=https://samtrevino.substack.com/p/age-assurance-laws-and-the-end-of |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.org/details/age-assurance-laws-and-the-end-of-general-purpose-computing-report |archive-date=2026-03-11 |access-date=2026-05-01}}</ref>.
 ==Methods==
-There are various methods used to verify and check the age of an user, but these are the most common:
+There are various methods used to verify and check the age of an user, being these the most common ones:
-*'''ID check''': The most privacy-invasive method and the riskiest of all. It consists of sending a picture of a government-issued ID, a passport or a drivers licence.
+*'''Age attestation''': Consists of establishing the user's birthdate on their account or profile.
+*'''ID check''': The most privacy-invasive method and the riskiest of all. It consists of sending a picture of a government-issued ID, a passport or a drivers licence.
 *'''Live selfie''': It consists of a live recording of the user's face. It has been questioned for its effectiveness and accuracy.
-'''*Credit card check''': Less privacy-invasive than an ID check or a live selfie, but very problematic because of potential card theft if a data leak occurs.
+*'''Credit card check''': Less privacy-invasive than an ID check or a live selfie, but very problematic because of potential card theft if a data leak occurs.
-'''Behavior prediction''': Used by some social media to estimate the user's age by its behavior on the platform using algorithms.
+*'''Behavior prediction''': Used by some social media to estimate the user's age by its behavior on the platform using algorithms.
 ==Examples==
@@ Line 99: / Line 99: @@
 *[https://www.eff.org/pages/age-verification-bills-are-unconstitutional EFF explains how OS-level age-verification is unconstitutional]
 *[https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/8250/all-info All Information (Except Text) for H.R.8250 - Parents Decide Act]
+*[https://csa-scientist-open-letter.org/ageverif-Feb2026| Joint statement of scientists and researchers on Age Assurance - Open letter signed by academics, warning about age verification risks]
 ==See also==