Denmark's government aims to ban access to social media for children under 15 (apnews.com)

Article summary

The Danish government plans to ban access to social media for children under 15, sparking discussions about age verification and online privacy. The proposed system would require users to verify their age without disclosing their identity to the service. This has raised concerns about the potential for data collection and surveillance. The plan aims to protect children from the potential harms of social media.

Main themes

• Age verification
• Online privacy
• Social media regulation
• Digital identity
• Child protection

What commenters say

• The proposed age verification system could be ineffective without a requirement for identification on every online platform, potentially leading to unintended consequences.
• Some argue that online companies already have enough information to determine a user's age, making additional verification methods unnecessary.
• Others propose that a decentralized, open-source system for age verification could be a more secure and private solution, but its implementation and scalability are uncertain.
• There are concerns that any age verification system could be vulnerable to exploitation, such as through the use of someone else's ID or manipulation of the verification process.
• The use of digital IDs for age verification raises concerns about data collection, surveillance, and the potential for governments or companies to misuse personal information.
• Some argue that the focus should be on outlawing the tracking of minors, and potentially adults, rather than implementing age verification systems.
• The effectiveness of age verification systems in preventing harm to children is questioned, with some arguing that education and awareness are more important than technical solutions.
• There are also concerns about the potential for age verification systems to be used as a means of control, rather than protection, and the impact this could have on individual freedoms.