Age verification is the surveillance nobody voted for
CoinDesk 2026-07-09 13:00:00
Context: The debate over online surveillance and age verification has taken a significant turn, with two major proposals, KOSA and Chat Control, scaling back their most contentious measures. Despite this, both initiatives have retained a critical component: mandatory age verification, which critics argue could fundamentally alter the nature of online browsing. This development has sparked concerns about the potential for widespread surveillance.
Key Facts
- The proposals KOSA and Chat Control have retreated on their most criticized measures, but have kept mandatory age verification, according to Billions CEO Evin McMullen.
- Mandatory age verification is described as a mechanism that turns anonymous browsing into identified browsing for all users, implying a significant shift in online privacy.
- Evin McMullen, CEO of Billions, argues that this retained measure constitutes a form of surveillance that was not voted for by the public, suggesting a potential democratic deficit in its implementation.