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The EFF warns that mandatory age-verification laws pose not only privacy risks but may also exclude millions of people who lack identity documents from accessing internet content and services. The organization believes these rules could reshape the digital public sphere at the expense of marginalized groups and residents of low- and middle-income countries.
The French Constitutional Council struck down legislation that would have barred people under 15 from using social networks starting in January 2027, finding that the ban disproportionately infringed on freedom of expression and privacy. EFF views the decision as highlighting the risks of mandatory age verification for all users, while the government prepares to redraft the law.