You can access the joint statement from here

A coalition of digital rights groups, privacy advocates and internet companies has warned that the UK’s push for wider age-verification measures could damage the open web, erode privacy protections and expand online surveillance without effectively addressing online harms.

In a joint statement released after the UK’s Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill passed, the groups said British policymakers are moving toward “blunt policy interventions like access bans” rather than requiring platforms to build safer services for children by default.

The statement comes as the UK government considers stricter online safety measures through its “Growing up in the online world” consultation launched in March 2026. The consultation seeks views on setting a minimum age for access to social media, restricting features such as infinite scrolling and autoplay, tightening rules around AI chatbots and gaming platforms, and expanding the use of age-verification systems. The proposals build on the UK’s Online Safety Act and Ofcom’s child safety rules announced last year.

Ofcom rules and wider consultation: Under Ofcom’s framework, platforms likely to be accessed by children may be required to introduce stronger age checks, filter harmful content from recommendation feeds, improve moderation systems and provide child safety controls. Companies that fail to comply could face fines or court-ordered blocks in the UK.

Against this backdrop, the signatories argued that the government’s latest proposals risk expanding mandatory age checks across large parts of the internet. They warned that even limited restrictions on specific features could force all users, not just minors, to verify their age to gain full access to services. According to the statement, such requirements could extend “from video games, VPNs to even static websites”.

Privacy and open web concerns: The groups argued that existing age-assurance technologies remain inaccurate, privacy-invasive, or inaccessible for many users. They also raised concerns about security risks linked to storing identity data online, citing previous breaches involving UK users’ government-issued ID information.

The statement said that expanding age checks across internet services could fundamentally change how the web operates. “They also risk turning the web into a patchwork of age-gated jurisdictions,” the groups said, warning that the approach could undermine free expression and restrict access to information.

The groups also argued that online harms are tied to business models built around large-scale data collection, targeted advertising, and user surveillance. Instead of “simplistic policies like access bans,” they called for measures that hold technology companies accountable for designing safer services and protecting user rights. 

“The internet is an essential resource that enables young people to engage with the world in a way that transcends their immediate environment,” the statement said, adding that young users often rely on online spaces to access information they may feel unsafe seeking offline. 

Signatories include privacy and internet rights organisations such as the Electronic Frontier Foundation, Mozilla, the Tor Project, the Open Rights Group, and the Internet Society, as well as VPN providers and civil liberties groups.

Read more:

• UK’s Ofcom Lays Down New Rules For Children’s Online Safety
• Sony rolls out age checks in Playstation in the UK, users to prove age to access chat
• What is the difference between India and UK’s age verification approaches?