Age verification: Difference between revisions

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The Online Safety Act is already exerting extraterritorial control through the age‑verification and validation changes it prompts, which are being implemented in the U.S. even though those companies customer bases are not at all subject to UK law, even Europeans that are also not under UK law are affected. This stems from the Act’s vague, overly broad language requiring companies to comply whenever users are located in the UK. Because the law effectively ignores national borders, non‑UK companies face only two options: geo‑block affected content for UK users or apply the same verification measures globally.

Geo‑blocking would severely disrupt services and business relationships that where already in place with UK customers before the Online Safety Act, so many companies choose to implement the changes for all users resulting in practical overreach beyond the UK. A reason for this is ~~Ofcoms~~<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-01-31 |title=What is Ofcom? |url=https://www.ofcom.org.uk/about-ofcom/what-we-do/what-is-ofcom |url-status=live |access-date=2026-04-07 |website=[[Ofcom]]}}</ref> statutory powers to require platforms to use “accredited technology” to detect illegal content. As such systems would have to be implemented onto all the content this again would be an overreach of their ~~precieved~~ authorities. ~~Companys~~ that do not comply are already ~~beeing~~ fined for this.

Geo‑blocking would severely disrupt services and business relationships that where already in place with UK customers before the Online Safety Act, so many companies choose to implement the changes for all users resulting in practical overreach beyond the UK. A reason for this is Ofcom's<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-01-31 |title=What is Ofcom? |url=https://www.ofcom.org.uk/about-ofcom/what-we-do/what-is-ofcom |url-status=live |access-date=2026-04-07 |website=[[Ofcom]]}}</ref> statutory powers to require platforms to use “accredited technology” to detect illegal content. As such systems would have to be implemented onto all the content this again would be an overreach of their perceived authorities. Companies that do not comply are already being fined for this.

Even if the UK Government has “paused” its demand for implementing “accredited ~~technologys”~~ there is no practical way to meet the vague requirement set out by Ofcom in the Online Safety Act. The proposal ignores that smaller companies would likely be forced to close under the financial burden of compliance, producing a sterilized market with reduced competition only firms with deep pockets can comply. That still does not prevent Ofcom from fining companies that fail to comply.

Even if the UK Government has “paused” its demand for implementing “accredited technologies” there is no practical way to meet the vague requirement set out by Ofcom in the Online Safety Act. The proposal ignores that smaller companies would likely be forced to close under the financial burden of compliance, producing a sterilized market with reduced competition only firms with deep pockets can comply. That still does not prevent Ofcom from fining companies that fail to comply.

Examples:

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*'''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.

==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]

*[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]

*[https://reclaimthenet.org/age-verification Say No to Online Age Verification at Reclaim The Net]

==See also==

@@ Line 20: / Line 20: @@
 The Online Safety Act is already exerting extraterritorial control through the age‑verification and validation changes it prompts, which are being implemented in the U.S. even though those companies customer bases are not at all subject to UK law, even Europeans that are also not under UK law are affected. This stems from the Act’s vague, overly broad language requiring companies to comply whenever users are located in the UK. Because the law effectively ignores national borders, non‑UK companies face only two options: geo‑block affected content for UK users or apply the same verification measures globally.
-Geo‑blocking would severely disrupt services and business relationships that where already in place with UK customers before the Online Safety Act, so many companies choose to implement the changes for all users resulting in practical overreach beyond the UK. A reason for this is Ofcoms<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-01-31 |title=What is Ofcom? |url=https://www.ofcom.org.uk/about-ofcom/what-we-do/what-is-ofcom |url-status=live |access-date=2026-04-07 |website=[[Ofcom]]}}</ref> statutory powers to require platforms to use “accredited technology” to detect illegal content. As such systems would have to be implemented onto all the content this again would be an overreach of their precieved authorities. Companys that do not comply are already beeing fined for this.
+Geo‑blocking would severely disrupt services and business relationships that where already in place with UK customers before the Online Safety Act, so many companies choose to implement the changes for all users resulting in practical overreach beyond the UK. A reason for this is Ofcom's<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-01-31 |title=What is Ofcom? |url=https://www.ofcom.org.uk/about-ofcom/what-we-do/what-is-ofcom |url-status=live |access-date=2026-04-07 |website=[[Ofcom]]}}</ref> statutory powers to require platforms to use “accredited technology” to detect illegal content. As such systems would have to be implemented onto all the content this again would be an overreach of their perceived authorities. Companies that do not comply are already being fined for this.
-Even if the UK Government has “paused” its demand for implementing “accredited technologys” there is no practical way to meet the vague requirement set out by Ofcom in the Online Safety Act. The proposal ignores that smaller companies would likely be forced to close under the financial burden of compliance, producing a sterilized market with reduced competition only firms with deep pockets can comply. That still does not prevent Ofcom from fining companies that fail to comply.
+Even if the UK Government has “paused” its demand for implementing “accredited technologies” there is no practical way to meet the vague requirement set out by Ofcom in the Online Safety Act. The proposal ignores that smaller companies would likely be forced to close under the financial burden of compliance, producing a sterilized market with reduced competition only firms with deep pockets can comply. That still does not prevent Ofcom from fining companies that fail to comply.
 Examples:
@@ Line 82: / Line 82: @@
 *'''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.
 ==Examples==
@@ Line 99: / Line 98: @@
 *[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]
+*[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]
+*[https://reclaimthenet.org/age-verification Say No to Online Age Verification at Reclaim The Net]
 ==See also==