Implementing strict age verification for social media does not solve the actual problems. It is also a major curtailment of privacy, according to the digital civil rights movement Bits of Freedom.
"That a way to protect young people is being sought is not surprising, as young people struggle with phone addictions and encounter increasingly extreme content," explains Lotje Beek. She is a policy advisor at Bits of Freedom. "But the solution direction should not come from Meta, a commercial company." Beek does not support strict age verification and age limitation: "A bad idea, because that is a huge curtailment of privacy."
She says the major problems caused by social media are due to its addictive mechanisms and lack of control over content. "The revenue model is designed to keep users attached to their platform for as long as possible, so they get to see as many ads as possible." These types of design mechanisms should be regulated, according to Beek.
