The UK's recent announcement of a wide-ranging social media ban for users under 16 has sparked debate. The policy, which will require age verification on platforms like X, Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, TikTok, and Snapchat, is intended to protect children. However, technology journalist Taylor Lorenz argues it will instead empower big tech companies.
Age Verification: A Data Goldmine
Prime Minister Keir Starmer called the policy "a line in the sand," stating that tech giants had their chance and failed. But Lorenz warns that age verification will require users to upload government IDs and biometric data, such as facial scans. This sensitive information will be used to build consumer profiles sold to advertisers or train AI systems, further enriching the largest tech companies.
The Business Model of Surveillance
Lorenz points to Mark Zuckerberg's 2018 testimony, where he explained that Facebook's business model relies on advertising. Age verification adds another layer of data collection, which can be exploited or stolen. Children are particularly vulnerable to harms like identity theft and blackmail.
Proponents suggest using third-party ID verification, but Lorenz notes that companies like Persona, backed by Peter Thiel's Founders Fund, are part of the same Silicon Valley ecosystem. Such measures do not curb big tech's power but expand it.
Content Restrictions and Censorship
Some advocates want stricter speech restrictions alongside age gating. However, Lorenz argues that major platforms already comply with censorship mandates globally to maintain regulatory favor. Examples include X suspending accounts in India and Facebook restricting content in Vietnam. Meta and Snapchat have also blocked Saudi dissidents. This risks enabling authoritarian governments to suppress free speech.
A Better Solution: Data Privacy and Antitrust
Lorenz proposes comprehensive data privacy regulation and antitrust litigation to curb big tech's power. Instead of age verification, which burdens small platforms, the government should foster competition among privacy-centered platforms. This would provide safer online spaces for young people without mass surveillance.
The internet is crucial for young people's friendships and education. Lorenz concludes that lawmakers should target systems that incentivize surveillance, not require ID for every interaction. Building an online world free from corporate exploitation is the true path to protecting children.
