Privacy advocates, browser makers, VPN providers, and digital rights groups have signed a joint statement urging UK policymakers to abandon plans for broader online age verification requirements, warning that the measures could undermine privacy, weaken internet openness, and expose users to increased surveillance risks.
The open letter, published by the Open Rights Group, comes as the UK government explores new online safety measures following the passage of the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill. Signatories include Mozilla, Mullvad VPN, Tor Project, Proton, the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), ExpressVPN, Tuta, and the Internet Society, among others.
The coalition argues that proposed “age gate” requirements aimed at restricting minors’ access to certain online features and services would inevitably force all users, not just children, to undergo intrusive age assurance checks. According to the statement, the resulting infrastructure could reshape the web into a fragmented and heavily monitored environment while failing to address the underlying causes of online harm.
The UK government has increasingly focused on age verification and age estimation systems as part of its broader online safety agenda. Policymakers are currently consulting on whether platforms and digital services should implement age-based access restrictions, including curfews for younger users and feature limitations across online platforms. The proposals could potentially affect a wide range of services, including social media platforms, gaming services, VPN providers, and even standard websites.
The organizations signing the letter argue that mandatory age verification systems raise significant privacy and cybersecurity concerns because the volume of sensitive personal data required to verify users’ identities or ages poses a significant risk.
The groups pointed to previous incidents involving breaches of UK government identification data as evidence that centralized age verification systems can become attractive targets for attackers. They also warned that current age-assurance technologies remain unreliable, inaccessible to some users, or dependent on invasive data-collection practices, such as biometric scans or government-issued ID verification.
Beyond privacy concerns, the signatories claim the proposals could alter the structure of the internet itself. They argue that widespread age-gating requirements may strengthen the influence of major platform operators and app stores by pushing users into closed ecosystems where identity verification is easier to enforce. According to the coalition, this could further erode the decentralized and interoperable nature of the open web.
The letter also criticizes what it describes as “simplistic policies like access bans,” arguing that restricting access does little to address harmful platform design practices. Instead, the groups say policymakers should focus on regulating business models that rely heavily on user tracking, algorithmic engagement systems, and large-scale data collection.
While opposing broad age-verification mandates, the coalition said it remains open to working with UK lawmakers on alternative approaches that better balance child safety, privacy, and digital rights. The signatories called for measures that hold technology companies accountable for harmful platform practices without introducing mass identity verification systems for ordinary internet users.
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