Age verification online can be done safely and privately. Heres how
The Conversation9 hrs
TeamSpeak Demand Surges as Discord Rolls Out Age Verification
Can age verification protect both privacy and safety or does it fail to safeguard children while creating new risks?
Above: Photo illustration of the Discord logo displayed on a smartphone and a computer screen in Athens, Greece, on April 17, 2024. Image credit: Nikolas Kokovlis/NurPhoto/Getty Images
The Spin
Techno-optimist narrative
When designed correctly, age verification can protect privacy and online safety. Advanced cryptographic solutions, for example, enable platforms to confirm a user’s age without revealing their details. The real choice, therefore, is not between safety and privacy, but between biometric data collection by private companies versus accurate methods that preserve anonymity.
Techno-skeptic narrative
Age verification methods fail because they simultaneously create massive privacy risks while failing to protect children. The constant threat of data breaches means these strategies inevitably put users' details at risk, while tech-savvy teenagers either circumvent the restrictions entirely or migrate to more dangerous and less regulated parts of the digital world.