The Year States Chose Surveillance Over Safety: 2025 in Review
Summary
In a retrospective on 2025, the EFF highlights the widespread adoption of age verification mandates across the United States for accessing adult content and social media. While some laws have been blocked by courts, the EFF argues that these measures censor the internet, burden access to online speech, and compromise users' privacy and security.
IFF Assessment
The article describes the expansion of age verification laws which, according to EFF, threaten privacy and security, and thus are bad for defenders of those rights.
Severity
Defender Context
Defenders need to be aware of the increasing push for age verification and the potential privacy implications. Organizations should monitor legislation and advocate for less intrusive methods of protecting children online. Be aware of the data security risks associated with collecting and storing age verification data.