Cybersecurity Policy Report, Identity Theft Seen as Risk From Age-Verification Requirements, (Aug 27, 2025)

By Lynn Stanton

Government calls for online age verification to prevent minors from accessing harmful content are expanding around the world, but requirements for age verification can expose individuals to identity theft through the collection of personal information, according to staff at the Center for Democracy & Technology.

One staffer said during a press briefing yesterday that in addition to identity theft exposure, age verification mechanisms can block users who share a device with a minor or use public devices, such as computers in libraries.

Another staffer said CDT was examining criteria for age-verification tools, saying they should be “proportionate” and “narrowly tailored” to achieve the goals of protecting children while not overly burdening adults; they should be user-controlled, user-friendly, and accessible to people with disabilities; they should incorporate accountability for inappropriate data collection and use; and they should be broadly deployable and not just available to the largest platforms.

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