šØ The Gated Internet Arrives
šØ The Gated Internet Arrives
š Gates closing fast
2026 marks enforcement year for age verification laws that swept the U.S. and UK in 2025. The open internet is rapidly transforming into a surveilled space requiring:
- Mandatory ID checks
- Facial scans
- Location tracking
- Continuous monitoring
What was borderless is now walled and watched. Privacy tools like VPNs, proxies, and encryption aren't workaroundsāthey're essential shields for maintaining digital freedom.
This shift follows a pattern: Spain banning social media for under-16s, France targeting VPNs after blocking platforms for under-15s, and Austria implementing ID verification. The UK plans VPN restrictions for under-18s, while platforms like Minecraft, Roblox, and TikTok now demand ID scans just to access basic features.
The concern: Age verification systems require everyone to prove identity, creating massive databases of personal data vulnerable to breaches. Kids bypass these systems easily, while adults lose anonymity.
Stay informed and protect your access to an open internet.
5/5 What starts as an āage verificationā requirement risks becoming a systemic identity-first internet. Once proving who you are is required to speak, freedom of expression shrinks. This is bigger than social media. It's about online rights.
Austria is joining the global āsocial media bans for kidsā trend š¬ From this fall, under-14s could be blocked from Facebook, Instagram & TikTok. Age verification via ID or eID is on the table - privacy concerns be damned. Another step toward normalized online surveillancešš»
Your kid plays Roblox. Now Roblox wants their face. New age verification rules require users to scan their face or hand over a government-issued ID just to chat. The goal is child safety, but the method is mass surveillance. Here's what's really happening š
š«š· Franceās National Assembly just voted to ban social media for underā15s, and days later, the Digital Affairs Minister openly said āVPNs are next on my list.ā France isnāt planning an outright ban, but heavy regulation and age checks are now on the table as authorities aim to
Enforcing age checks means uploading government-issued IDs to Meta or third parties ā data breach risks. Centralized enforcement concentrates power in a few companies. ā Protecting kids is important, but so is privacy and meaningful online connection. Read more ā
1/5 Spain just announced one of Europeās strictest social media crackdowns: anyone under 16 will be banned from platforms, and companies must implement ārealā age verification or face penalties. #SocialMedia #Privacy
Age verification, then social media, and now gaming. The pattern is clear: governments want your ID attached to everything you do online. What happens when the internet requires identification for access? The slow death of online anonymity ā mysteriumvpn.com/blog/news/age-ā¦
Roblox is building a database of children's faces. Their new age verification system uses facial scanning for everyone. Get flagged as the wrong age? Upload your ID. Millions of users, sensitive biometric data, and it only takes one breach to cause disaster. And the worst
The UK wants to ban under-16s from social media. Sounds reasonable until you realize enforcement requires: ID verification for everyone Biometric scans Facial analysis Third-party data collection Protecting kids shouldn't mean treating adults like suspects. Read more š
Are you using TikTok in the EU? Now you will have to hand over your ID, prove your age, and hope algorithms like your content. Online safety or privacy nightmare? You decide. #OnlinePrivacy #VPN #TikTok #DigitalPrivacy
More and more platforms now require ID verification to confirm usersā age. The goal is safer digital spaces and better protection for minors. Still, poor implementation bring real hazards: privacy loss, data misuse, and increased surveillance. #AgeVerification #OnlineSafety
The Illusion of Control: Online age-verification systems are sold as child safety tools, but across regions they fail the same test - easy to bypass, wildly inconsistent, and built on mass data collection. They create the appearance of control while eroding privacy and doing
The UK plans to ban VPNs for under-18s to āprotect children online.ā A 3-month consultation will also explore social media bans, curfews, and anti-doomscrolling measures - yet the House of Lords already voted 207ā159 for a VPN ban. History shows banning tech doesnāt protect
Minecraft now requires UK players to verify their age with ID scans just to use chat. Refuse? You keep the game but lose multiplayer, Discord integration, streaming, and LFG. This is what "online safety" looks like: surveillance dressed up as protection. Take back your privacy
OpenAI now monitors how you use ChatGPT to guess your age, tracking when you're online, how long you've had an account, and your usage patterns. Get flagged as under 18? You're stuck with restricted features. Want to prove you're an adult? Hand over a selfie and
Roblox's AI age verification is so broken that verified accounts are selling for $4 on eBay. The system meant to "protect children": ā¢ Misidentifies adults as children ā¢ Cuts players off from friends ā¢ Creates a black market for verified accounts "Child safety" theater that
Spain announces plans to ban social media for under-16s, with strict age verification and new legal obligations for platforms - marking a major shift toward an identity-first internet.
Spain announces plans to ban social media for under-16s bbc.in/49YQfwg
2025 saw age verification laws sweep across the U.S. and UK. 2026 is when governments start enforcing them hard. The internet you knew is vanishing behind gates: mandatory ID checks, facial scans, location tracking, and strict monitoring are becoming daily requirements just to
To enforce a 1-hour limit, platforms need to verify everyone's age. That means government-issued IDs, biometrics, and personal data collected from millions of users, including children. One breach would expose millions of identities. And the kicker? Kids will bypass it anyway.
Virginia just capped social media at 1 hour/day for those who are under sixteen. Sounds like progress for kids' mental health. But the real concern should be āHow do you enforce that without sweeping up everyoneās sensitive data in the process?ā Thatās where the policy
The internet didn't lose its freedom overnight. It happened through a thousand "reasonable" restrictions. If 2025 proved anything, itās that internet censorship isnāt a temporary phase. Social media bans, messaging apps vanishing, entire regions going dark. Whatās next? Even
France just voted to ban under-15s from social media & phones in high schools. While aimed at protecting kids, the law pushes age verification and oversight - a reminder: online access without permission is becoming the new normal. #DigitalRights #OnlinePrivacy
EU Court Adviser Rules VPNs Are Neutral Tools, Not Copyright Violators
An EU court adviser issued a significant ruling on digital rights after a Dutch foundation geo-blocked Anne Frank manuscripts online. When rights holders argued that VPNs made this protection illegal, the adviser determined that: - **Geo-blocking doesn't need to be unbreakable** to be legally valid - **Neutral tools like VPNs aren't guilty by default** for how users employ them This decision could have practical implications for internet users: - Slower rollout of mandatory ID verification systems - Reduced pressure for invasive surveillance measures - Less restrictive digital borders - Continued access for students abroad and privacy-conscious users The ruling establishes an important precedent that technology providers shouldn't be held liable simply because their tools *can* be used to circumvent restrictions. [Read the full analysis](https://www.mysteriumvpn.com/blog/news/eu-court-backs-vpn-neutrality)
Turkey's Draft Law Threatens 47M Gamers with Mass Game Library Loss
**Turkey proposes sweeping gaming regulation that could devastate digital access** A new draft law in Turkey threatens the country's 47 million gamers with potential loss of their digital game libraries. The legislation would require platforms like Steam, Epic Games, PlayStation, and Xbox to: - Establish local offices in Turkey - Comply with age rating systems - Follow vague cultural content rules - Face fines, throttling, or content bans for non-compliance **Up to 60% of Steam's library could disappear** if platforms choose to comply with restrictive content rules. More concerning, major gaming platforms might simply withdraw from the Turkish market entirely rather than navigate the complex regulatory requirements. For Turkish gamers, this means purchased games, saved progress, and entire digital libraries could vanish overnight. While the government positions the law as child protection, it represents broader control over online spaces and digital content. This case highlights a growing global trend: **platforms wielding power to silently filter speech and alter purchased content**. Gaming serves as a clear example of how conditional access and ownership are becoming the norm, raising serious questions about digital rights and platform accountability in an increasingly regulated internet landscape.
šØ UK Quietly Normalizes Mass Biometric Surveillance
The UK is establishing mass biometric surveillance systems through regulatory frameworks and oversight language. **Current trajectory:** - Facial recognition deployment today - Emotion detection systems on the horizon - Behavior prediction technology next The concern centers on how legal precedents, once established, tend to expand rather than contract. What begins as targeted security measures can evolve into routine population monitoring integrated into everyday policing. This follows earlier 2025 reports of plans for mandatory digital IDs by 2029, which would include: - Required phone-based identification - Unchangeable biometric data - Centralized systems vulnerable to breaches The pattern suggests a gradual shift from voluntary to mandatory biometric systems, framed as security enhancements while creating infrastructure for widespread monitoring. The debate continues around whether these measures genuinely improve public safety or represent a fundamental shift in the relationship between citizens and state surveillance capabilities.
Iran Plans to Cut Global Internet Access
Iran is moving forward with plans to disconnect from the global internet, a decision that could significantly impact online freedom and privacy for its citizens. **Key Points:** - The Iranian government is working to isolate its internet infrastructure from the rest of the world - This follows a broader trend of internet restrictions, including the recent US decision to withdraw from global internet freedom initiatives - Citizens may face severe limitations on accessing international websites, services, and information - The move raises concerns about censorship, digital rights, and the ability to communicate freely online This development highlights the growing fragmentation of the global internet and the importance of tools that can help maintain access to information across borders. [Read more](https://www.mysteriumvpn.com/blog/news/irans-plan-cut-global-internet)