Daily Beast Publishes Op-Ed by Cybersecurity Expert Questioning Age Verification Laws

Daily Beast Publishes Op-Ed by Cybersecurity Expert Questioning Age Verification Laws

LOS ANGELES — The Daily Beast yesterday published an opinion piece by a cybersecurity expert arguing that the current state-by-state legislative campaign to mandate age verification requirements for social media threatens online privacy and free speech.

The op-ed, titled “Social Media Age Requirements Are Anti-Free Speech,” is penned by Jeff Kosseff, associate professor of cybersecurity law in the United States Naval Academy's Cyber Science Department. In it, Kosseff explains that while age verification requirements have been promoted with the supposed goal of protecting children online, they actually “endanger the ability of Americans to operate anonymously online, as the laws require the collection of information from everyone regardless of age.”

Moreover, Kosseff points out, the various state laws being enacted across the country — under the leadership of religious conservatives, but often with bipartisan support — fail to specify what type of age verification is required.

“Indeed, their vagueness on that point suggests that nobody quite knows how to meet the requirements without creating massive privacy problems,” Kosseff notes, citing as examples the Utah law requiring parental consent for children under 18 to use social media, a copycat Arkansas law and the proposed federal “Protecting Kids on Social Media Act.”

As no company can currently guarantee the safety of personal information given the available technology, legislators wantonly display a “lack of concern for anonymity,” Kosseff contends.

“Debates about online harms often fuel calls for real-name requirements or other abrogations of anonymity,” he writes. “Although these proposals often are well intentioned, they ignore the prospect of silencing marginalized groups that do not have the luxury of speaking and receiving information under their real names.” 

Kosseff — author of the standard history of Section 230, “The Twenty-Six Words That Created the Internet” (2019) as well as the forthcoming “Liar in a Crowded Theater: Freedom of Speech in a World of Misinformation” — acknowledges legitimate concerns about the potential harms of social media for teenagers. However, he doubts that age verification requirements “are effective enough to survive a constitutional challenge.”

“If there is any possibility of dodging an identification requirement, there is a good chance that determined teenagers will figure out how to do so,” he concludes. “Yet millions of other social media users who play by the rules will have no choice but to turn over their personal information.”

To read “Social Media Age Requirements Are Anti-Free Speech,” visit TheDaily Beast.com.

Main Image: Jeff Kosseff (Photo: JeffKosseff.com)

Copyright © 2025 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More News

2025 XBIZ Amsterdam Website Launches With Call for Speakers

XBIZ is pleased to announce that the website for its annual European conference, XBIZ Amsterdam, is now live.

NC Governor Vetoes Bill Targeting Adult, Could Face Override

North Carolina Governor Josh Stein today vetoed a bill imposing new regulations that adult industry observers have warned could push adult websites and platforms to ban most adult creators and content.

25,000 Sign Petition to Legalize Pornography in Ukraine

An OnlyFans model’s petition to decriminalize pornography in Ukraine has amassed the 25,000 signatures required for official consideration by President Volodymyr Zelensky.

WannaCollab Joins Pineapple Support as Supporter-Level Sponsor

WannaCollab has joined the ranks of over 70 adult businesses and organizations committing funds and resources to Pineapple Support.

FSC Unpacks SCOTUS Age Verification Ruling in Webinar

The Free Speech Coalition conducted a public webinar Tuesday to help adult industry stakeholders understand the Supreme Court’s recent decision in FSC v. Paxton, and its potential implications.

UK Lawmaker Calls for Appointment of 'Porn Minister'

Baroness Gabrielle Bertin, the Conservative member of Parliament who recently convened a new anti-pornography task force, is calling for the appointment of a “minister for porn,” according to British news outlet The Guardian.

FSC Toasts Jeffrey Douglas for 30 Years of Service

n the very same evening when the adult industry was hit hard by the Supreme Court ruling supporting Texas’ controversial age verification law, HB 1181, members of the Free Speech Coalition board, staff and supporters gathered to celebrate Jeffrey Douglas’ 30 years as board chair — a fitting reflection of his reputation as an eternal optimist.

TTS Opens UK Testing Location

Talent Testing Service (TTS) has opened a new U.K. location in Ware, Hertfordshire.

FSC: Age-Verification Laws Go Into Effect in South Dakota, Georgia, Wyoming on July 1

The Free Speech Coalition (FSC) has published a statement regarding new age verification laws set to go into effect tomorrow in South Dakota, Georgia, and Wyoming.

FSC Responds to Supreme Court Decision on Texas AV Law

The Free Speech Coalition (FSC) has released a statement responding to last week's Supreme Court decision on FSC v. Paxton, the Texas age verification law.

Show More