Reason.com by Emma Camp
The California Age-Appropriate Design Code Act was signed last month by California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D). The law requires that online businesses create robust privacy protections for users under 18.
However, critics of the law have raised concerns about its vague language, which leaves unclear what kinds of business might be subject to the law’s constraints and what specific actions companies must take to comply with the law.
For instance, due to the law’s strict age requirements, online businesses may resort to invasive age verification regimes—such as face-scanning or checking government-issued IDs. While digital privacy protections are important, particularly for children, California’s Age-Appropriate Design Code Act could have unintended consequences in its vague, sweeping attempt to accomplish that end…
