The Rise of Mandatory Age Verification Across roughly half of U.S. states, lawmakers have passed or proposed laws requiring online platforms to verify users’ ages before granting access to certain services. The stated goal is simple: protect minors from harmful content. But the way it’s being implemented is raising serious concerns. Many platforms now require users to: Upload a government ID Take a selfie or video scan Submit to AI facial analysis Confirm identity through third-party verification companies In other words, the internet is beginning to ask a question it rarely asked before: “Prove who you are.” For decades, Americans could browse online with relative anonymity. Now the trend is shifting toward identity-linked access. And once that infrastructure exists, it…
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