The issue of age verification is becoming increasingly urgent, as legislation around the world imposes such a procedure. In France, you have to show your credentials to access the content of pornographic sites, for example.
The digital hot potato
For years, Meta has been campaigning for this role to be given to the two people responsible for the iOS and Android platforms, namely Apple and Google. The pressure is now even stronger on the duopoly that firmly holds the smartphone market in its hands. A new lobby group, the Coalition for a Competitive Mobile Experience, will approach the American legislature to force access controllers to verify the age of users.
The coalition counts in its ranks Meta of course, but also Spotify, Match Group (the dating apps Tinder and Meetic), Garmin, and Snap (the publisher of Snapchat). These companies are facing mounting legal obligations to verify their users' ages, which could lead to an avalanche of complaints. One of the challenges is having to manage a large amount of personal data, which is all the more sensitive when it concerns minors.
This is why the coalition believes that the responsibility for this verification falls to Apple and Google. For their part, they retort that it's the publishers' job! These remarks echo those of Clara Chappaz, Minister Delegate for Digital Affairs, who stated yesterday that social networks "know everything about our children" and that, as a result, they are able to block access to their platforms for those under 15.
The coalition is not stopping at age verification. The list of grievances against Apple and Google is long. Garmin, for example, wants to ensure that its products can function perfectly and seamlessly on iOS and Android. Will this lobby be heard in Washington? The new Trump administration has already demonstrated its willingness to take on the big platforms, as seen in the ongoing lawsuits against Google and Meta.
Source: Bloomberg
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