19 orgs including Mozilla, Proton,Tor warn UK age verification threatens privacy

Nineteen organizations, including Mozilla, Mullvad and Proton, have signed an open letter to British authorities warning that planned online age verification measures could severely undermine privacy, anonymity and the open nature of the web. The signatories say the requirements, which follow the passage of a new child welfare law, would affect not only social media platforms and games but also VPNs, static websites and live streams. They argue that better methods should be sought to protect minors without compromising the freedom and security of all internet users, and they warn of heightened risk of mass surveillance.