"why not both?"

because age verification (the only way to actually ban under 16s from social media) is merely a method to hand over vast amounts of private data (drivers licenses and passports) to companies who have repeatedly shown they are not responsible enough to handle it?

April 10, 2026 - 16:34 UTC

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Unless the state creates its own way of checking age without the companies getting access to the information.
Many states already have this kind of ID.
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Except then the state has access to that data and what so far has states done with it?

Welp the US took Persona face scans to create a watchlist to determine danger based on solely facia features.

www.youtube.com/shorts/axEpRZUuQ4A
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Problem with that is then the government still gets your ID AND can link it to your online activity. State surveillance isn't really a better deal than companies selling your data, imo. So unless there are numerous and extensive safeguards in place for the govt to NOT misuse that data (cont.)
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In Europe at least, cell carriers already know the ages of their users because you have to show ID to get a SIM card. I wonder if that information could be used to prevent children from installing or using social media without the social media companies ever having to see anyone’s ID.
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Only works on phones. I use a desktop. Please don't ask the internet to become a walled garden for cellphones only. It's bad enough already.
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Plus, have you ever tried to tell a kid something isn't allowed? It just makes it forbidden and cool
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And as we all know a kid has never in history managed to steal something from their mom's purse to circumvent a rule.
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Translation: beep boop send must your government ID to Peter Thiel's Palatir
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So many people legit have has their mask drop about how much they just hate the internet and the vulnerable groups that are surviving thanks to it with these laws.

I legit got a guy saying how we should not only do the bans, ID verification and all of it, but also reduce internet speed, just cuz.
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Some weird desire to return to the pre internet age for no good reason, you'd think the internet killed their grandma or something.
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Thank you

It baffles me how many people don't get this
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A lot of them legit believe the internet is inherently evil, I got a guy legit telling me how we should do the bans and also reduce internet speeds, it's some weird ass desire to return to the pre internet age.
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IDK... Just spit balling but maybe the hundreds of millions in political donations is making it difficult for politicians to focus?

Same story with crypto except it should have been named outright.
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Yes, and a full ban can leave the most vulnerable under16-s without any community at all, which is something all the "just meet up irl" people simply refuse to understand
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