The Board of Informatics Europe urges policymakers to focus on the sources of harm rather than the identity of online service users.
While supporting the goal of protecting children from harmful content, the open letter highlights serious technical, legal, and societal risks associated with large-scale age verification, estimation or inference systems.
Key Concerns
- Technical limitations: Age assurance systems are easily circumvented, technically unreliable, and lack a global trust infrastructure.
- Privacy and security risks: Mandatory verification threatens anonymity, creates data vulnerabilities, and may discourage the use of privacy-enhancing tools, undermining cybersecurity and trust in the digital ecosystem. .
- Digital exclusion: Such systems risk excluding individuals without government-issued IDs, compatible devices, or digital literacy, undermining EU objectives of inclusion and equal access.
- Psychological and Societal Implications: Easily bypassed restrictions may create a false sense of security, restrict access to valuable online resources, and drive users toward less-regulated platforms.
A Better Approach
The letter advocates for evidence-based alternatives focused on the source of harm, including:
- Safer platform design (e.g., addressing addictive algorithms).
- Stronger enforcement of existing EU regulations (e.g., Digital Services Act).
- Support for parents, educators, and digital literacy programs.
- Privacy-preserving innovation to protect minors without compromising rights.
The Informatics Europe Board calls for policies that are technically feasible, demonstrably effective, and compatible with fundamental rights, urging Europe to maintain its leadership in balancing innovation, safety, and democratic values.
Read the full open letter here on our Recommendation page.
Netlogica