Age verification tech could put children at greater risk, says think tank

A UK think tank warns that mandatory age verification technology to restrict children's social media access could increase risks of blackmail, abuse, and data misuse while failing to reduce actual harms. The proposed solutions pose privacy and security concerns for both adults and children, may exclude vulnerable groups through biometric discrimination, and could push minors toward less regulated platforms with more harmful content. The Foundation for Information Policy Research argues these "technological fixes" concentrate power with tech platforms rather than addressing underlying social harms.