Internet Age-Gates Are a Growing Global Threat

Governments in Australia, the UK, Indonesia, Malaysia, Brazil and the European Union are introducing or enforcing age-verification rules for online services, and the article argues this approach threatens privacy and free expression for all users. Australia's law, rolled out in late 2025, bans users under 16 from social media accounts, with fines of up to 49.5 million Australian dollars ($32 million USD) for non-compliance, and Reddit is challenging it in court on constitutional grounds. Indonesia will deactivate under-16 accounts on "high risk" platforms from 28 March, and Malaysia plans to ban under-16 accounts on platforms with at least 8 million users in Malaysia. The article holds that age checks require users to upload private data such as a face scan or passport, and that no verification method has proven effective.