Marketplace Tech How online age-gating laws went mainstream this year
7 snips
Dec 26, 2025 Drew Harwell, a tech reporter at The Washington Post specializing in online platforms and privacy, dives into the controversial rise of online age verification laws. He discusses various methods used for age checks, including ID scans and AI tools. The implications of recent Supreme Court decisions are explored, highlighting their impact on small websites and user privacy concerns. Drew raises alarm about data security and the unintended consequences for adults wrongly locked out of sites. He questions whether these measures genuinely protect children amidst a landscape of patchy regulations.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Court Decision Cleared The Way
- The U.S. Supreme Court upheld states' power to require online age verification, encouraging more aggressive state and federal action.
- That ruling settled legal uncertainty and pushed lawmakers and platforms to implement verification tools.
Verification Spreading Beyond Porn Sites
- Age checks now appear on unexpected platforms and small sites fear huge fines and compliance costs.
- Verification vendors charge per scan, making the process costly and pushing smaller sites to block or cancel service.
Unexpected Age Walls Surprise Users
- Users now face surprise verification walls when casually visiting sites and must hand over biometric face scans or IDs.
- Many people find this invasive and unsettling, trading casual browsing for surveillance-like checks.