**Social Media Age Verification: A Double-Edged Sword**

The push to protect children's mental health online has led to a flurry of proposals for age verification measures on social media platforms. But as tech companies scramble to comply, concerns about data privacy and the potential for control are mounting.

Discord, the video game-centric app, recently announced it would roll out global age verification in March. The platform will require users to submit to a biometric face scan or send a picture of a government ID card, along with a selfie to prove their age. If age isn't verified, users will get a "teen-by-default" experience that blocks access to age-restricted channels and imposes other safeguards.

But critics argue that these measures raise more questions than answers. "I would argue there are other ways that we could accomplish children's safety goals online that don't require scraping as much personal data from people," said Ash Johnson, a senior policy manager at the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation.

The nonprofit Mental Health Coalition unveiled its Safe Online Standards (SOS) last week, aiming to create "standards and ratings for kids' mental health and social media" that would help families decide if their children should use these platforms. Major social media companies have agreed to share information for evaluation under the SOS framework.

However, the SOS standards seem to recommend age verification through quizzes and tasks rather than direct proof through face scans or IDs. "The internet lets young people connect outside of the controlled spheres of their parents' worldview — and that's the danger that proponents of age verification are terrified of," said Dr. Dan Reidenberg, the founder and director of SOS.

As these tech companies begin evaluations under the private standards, governments across the world are already passing bans on social media use for minors. Spain announced last week it was joining Australia with laws that prohibit social media use for anyone younger than 16. Greece, Turkey, France, and about a dozen other European countries are eyeing similar bans — and the U.S. is not far behind.

The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) has filed friend-of-the-court briefs against various states imposing age restrictions on social media companies. The nonprofit argues that these laws and proposals violate young people's First Amendment rights, burden adults' rights, and jeopardize all users' privacy and data security.

"Social media is just today's satanic panic," said Erica Portnoy, a senior staff technologist at EFF. "You'll find that the greatest proponents of age verification are those whose greatest concern is control." Portnoy cited 2023 testimony from Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), who said a top priority was "protecting minor children from the transgender in this culture."

Portnoy argues that these efforts are about controlling the narratives that young people see online, rather than genuinely protecting their mental health. "Age verification lets adults control the narratives that young people see — it's not subtle," she said.

The push for age verification raises concerns not just about data privacy but also about access to information. "Centering the need for identity documentation to access the internet harms those who don't have access like immigrants or citizens without IDs," said Johnson of the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation.

With more than 70% of teens reporting that social platforms make them feel more connected to their friends, critics argue that age verification requirements are a solution in search of a problem. "There are a lot of different ways to increase safety for kids and give them and their parents more tools to limit their online behavior and encourage more healthy use of the internet," Johnson said.

Ultimately, the debate over social media age verification highlights the need for nuanced solutions that balance children's mental health with data privacy concerns. As Reidenberg noted, "There are a lot of factors in modern society that can be detrimental to kids' mental health — it's not as simple as if we take care of this one thing, kids are not gonna spend too much time online and they're all gonna go back outside and start playing with each other again."