Online age verification expands across US, raising privacy concerns for adults: Report
Synopsis
New US laws designed to protect minors online are forcing millions of adults to pass through mandatory age-verification systems, sparking backlash and raising concerns about privacy and surveillance, according to a CNBC report.
New laws aimed at protecting minors online are increasingly requiring adults in the United States to pass through age-verification systems to access digital content, prompting backlash from users and privacy advocates, according to a CNBC report.
Key highlights
- US states expanding online age-verification laws
- Adults increasingly required to verify identity online
- Privacy advocates warn about surveillance risks
- Platforms exploring new age-check technologies
Roughly half of U.S. states have enacted or are considering laws requiring online platforms, including adult content websites, gaming services and social media apps, to block underage users.
These rules typically require companies to verify the age of anyone attempting to access certain content. As a result, adults must also pass through verification systems before using some services.
Joe Kaufman, global head of privacy at Jumio, said the growing number of state laws has created a complex regulatory landscape for technology companies.
“There’s a big spectrum,” Kaufman said, noting that state-level rules vary widely in their technical requirements and compliance standards.
“The regulations are moving in many different directions at once,” he added.
Platforms experiment with new verification tools
Some technology companies have started implementing age-verification tools to comply with emerging regulations.
Messaging platform Discord announced in February that it planned to introduce mandatory age verification globally.
According to CNBC, the system would rely on methods where facial analysis occurs on a user’s device, with submitted data deleted immediately after verification.
However, the plan triggered backlash from users who were concerned about uploading selfies or government identification to access platform features.
Stanislav Vishnevskiy, co-founder and chief technology officer of Discord, acknowledged the controversy in a blog post and said the rollout had been delayed until the second half of the year.
“Any time you introduce something that touches identity and verification, people are going to have strong feelings,” he wrote.
How age-verification technology works
Many online platforms rely on specialised identity-verification companies that use artificial intelligence tools such as facial recognition and age-estimation systems.
These technologies analyse a user’s selfie or short video in seconds to determine whether they meet the required age threshold.
More sensitive services, including gambling platforms, adult websites and financial services, may require full identity verification. This can involve scanning government identification and matching it with a live image.
Rivka Gerwitz Little, chief growth officer at identity-verification platform Socure, said companies aim to balance safety with ease of access.
“We’re in the business of ensuring that you are keeping minors safe while allowing adults in with as little friction as possible,” she said.
Privacy advocates warn of surveillance risks
Privacy advocates say mandatory identity checks could expose users to new risks.
Heidi Howard Tandy, a partner at Berger Singerman specialising in internet law, said many users view the verification systems as intrusive.
“Having another way to be forced to provide that information is intrusive to people,” she said.
Civil liberties groups also warn that concentrating identity data among a small number of verification providers could create attractive targets for hackers or government surveillance.
Molly Buckley, a legislative analyst at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, said linking identity data to online behaviour could fundamentally change how the internet operates.
“Age verification strikes at the foundation of the free and open internet,” she said.
Data storage and security challenges
In many cases, identity-verification vendors, rather than the platforms themselves, process and store user data before returning a simple pass-or-fail result.
Socure said it does not sell verification data and may store little or no personal information when lightweight age-estimation systems are used.
However, in situations requiring full identity verification, some records may be retained for regulatory compliance.
Gerwitz Little said certain verification data could be stored for up to three years while following data-protection and deletion rules.
Legal battles reshape the policy landscape
Regulators say age-verification laws are designed to protect minors from harmful online content.
The Federal Trade Commission told CNBC that companies must strictly control how collected information is used and follow data security and retention rules.
Some state officials have defended the regulations. Rae Pickett, a spokesperson for the Virginia Attorney General's Office, said strong verification standards are necessary to ensure age-appropriate digital experiences.
However, enforcement of Virginia’s law was temporarily blocked by a federal court following a First Amendment challenge brought by a trade group representing major social media companies.
Global shift toward digital age credentials
Age-verification rules are already in place in several countries, including the United Kingdom, Australia and Brazil.
Technology companies are also exploring alternatives that reduce the need for platforms to directly collect identity data.
Snap Inc., the parent company of Snapchat, has supported solutions where age verification occurs at the device or app-store level rather than on individual platforms.
Industry experts believe the future may involve persistent digital credentials that confirm a user’s age once and can be reused across multiple online services.
As more governments introduce age-verification requirements, identity systems could become a permanent part of how people access online platforms.
Supporters say the measures help protect minors from harmful content, while critics argue they may reshape the internet by linking personal identity more closely to online activity.
FAQs
Q1. Why are US states introducing age-verification laws?
Many states say the laws are necessary to protect minors from harmful online content and ensure age-appropriate digital experiences.
Q2. Why are privacy advocates concerned?
Critics argue the systems require users to submit sensitive identity data such as IDs or facial scans, which could be stored, misused or exposed in data breaches.
Q3. How do online age-verification systems work?
Many systems rely on artificial intelligence tools such as facial recognition or age-estimation software that analyse selfies or videos to determine a user’s age.
Q4. Will age verification become permanent online?
Industry experts say the trend may lead to persistent digital age credentials that allow users to verify their age once and reuse that verification across multiple online platforms.
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Pooja Malik is a business journalist with over six years of experience covering startups, entrepreneurship, and emerging trends. She has previously worked with leading media platforms such as YourStory Media and BW BusinessWorld, where she reported on business, policy, and market developments. Currently, she serves as Editor at The Inspirepreneur Magazine, where she writes and edits stories across business, lifestyle, and travel, with a focus on clarity, accuracy, and reader relevance.
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