Efforts to make the internet safer for children risk remaking it into a system of universal identification, according to a new intervention by Proton, the Swiss privacy firm. In a recent blog post, the company argues that the global push for online age verification could undermine one of the internet’s defining features: anonymity.
Age verification laws, already spreading across Europe, America and elsewhere, typically require users to prove their age using government-issued identification or biometric checks. What is presented as a targeted safeguard for minors could, in practice, extend to all users”forcing even adults to verify their identity to access everyday online services.
The company cautions that such systems risk creating vast repositories of sensitive personal data. Even when platforms promise to delete identification records after verification, the process may leave persistent digital traces, linking online activity to real-world identities. This raises concerns about data breaches, misuse and expanded surveillance by both corporations and governments.
Proton also questions the effectiveness of age checks. Determined users”particularly minors”often find ways to bypass restrictions, while compliant users shoulder the privacy burden. At the same time, centralised verification systems could entrench the dominance of large technology firms, positioning them as gatekeepers of digital identity infrastructure.
Instead, the firm advocates privacy-preserving approaches, such as cryptographic age verification methods that confirm eligibility without disclosing identity, alongside broader reforms targeting platform incentives.
The debate reflects a widening tension in digital policy: how to balance child safety with civil liberties. If poorly implemented, age verification could shift the internet from a largely anonymous space to one where identification becomes the norm”reshaping how people access information and express themselves online.
