Online age-verification tools spread across U.S. for child safety, but adults are being surveilled
https://www.cnbc.com/2026/03/08/social-media-child-safety-internet-ai-surveillance.html
- New U.S laws designed for online child safety are pulling millions of adult Americans into mandatory age-verification gates that often use AI technology, and causing major headaches for social media companies attempting to strike a balance for users between legal compliance and privacy.
- Roughly half of U.S. states have enacted or are advancing laws requiring platforms — including adult content sites, online gaming services, and social media apps — to block underage users.
- Large volumes of sensitive identity data can become targets for government demands and hackers. But at a more fundamental level, the surveillance strikes at the foundation of the free and open internet, say civil liberties advocates, and last week a court decision in Virginia citing the First Amendment agreed.
