Taylor Lorenz’s Power User Is this the end of the open web?
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Jun 6, 2025 
Eric Goldman, Associate Dean for Research at Santa Clara University School of Law and co-Director of the High Tech Law Institute, discusses the controversial topic of online age verification. He reveals how these measures, often framed as child protection, can lead to severe privacy risks and government overreach. Goldman highlights the paradox of attempting to safeguard young users while jeopardizing free speech and anonymity. The conversation critiques current regulations and advocates for education and media literacy instead of restrictions.
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Purpose of Age Verification
- Age verification online aims to segregate children from adults to provide special protections to children.
- This mirrors offline practices where children are treated differently due to their vulnerabilities.
Privacy Risks of Verification
- Age verification requires sharing sensitive data like government IDs or face scans.
- This exposes private information, raising strong privacy concerns and risks identity misuse.
Security Threats Increase
- Age verification data becomes a valuable target for hackers and bad actors.
- Fake sites might emerge just to capture this sensitive info from unaware users, especially children.
