The War Against Internet Anonymity
There is a war against the anonymity of the internet currently being waged in the background of public perception. Most of us don’t think about this day to day, but once in a while, whether because of a specific event or catalyst, things in the background end up in the spotlight. Today, that’s precisely what’s happening.
Nothing discussed today is strictly new. Everything has been developing over several years, but with a perfect storm of oddly coinciding enforcement measures, the war against the internet is more obvious than ever before.
The UK Online Safety Act
First is the Online Safety Act, passed originally in 2023 and now being enforced by Ofcom (the Office of Communications regulation arm of the UK government) in 2025.
The Online Safety Act is described as “a new set of laws that protects children and adults online.” However, it’s not just about children and never was. Children are simply the best way to emotionally frame these laws.
Primarily aimed at social media companies and adult websites, the idea is that many platforms are specifically damaging for developing minds. TikTok dramatically lowers attention span, Instagram reduces happiness and self-worth, and pornography has numerous damaging effects. The idea of regulating these platforms is actually insanely popular.
According to United States survey data from YouGov in January 2025, 57% of Americans think social media needs more regulation, while just 15% believe less. Something does need to be done, except when discussing governmental regulation, there’s this problem called the slippery slope.
The Reality of Implementation
The Online Safety Act is branded as a protection mechanism for children who shouldn’t be exposed to certain content online. In practice, it’s far more invasive.
Far from just adult entertainment platforms, these new regulations affect a host of websites:
Discord
Partnering with a company called “k-id,” Discord now requires UK users to either scan their faces or photo ID and verify with this third party they’re above the proper age to access the service. Forcing every single Discord user to scan their face or driver’s license suddenly starts feeling slippery.
Spotify
Under these far-reaching new online verification laws, many people are being locked out of their Spotify accounts until they scan their faces or upload IDs, this time partnered with a company called “yoti.” That’s two companies you’ve never heard of processing your facial scans or official documents.
Reddit is also part of this, using a company called “persona” to process facial scans and official IDs – yet another third party with critical, confidential, and biometric data on its userbase.
Twitter as well, through a company called Au10tix (which they’ve already used with the Twitter Blue program). Au10tix had a data breach discovered in 2024 that persisted for over a year, exposing license photos.
The framing was adult content websites and pornography. The practice is everything from Discord to Spotify and additional social platforms.
Global Expansion of Age Verification
While the UK is catalyzing broader discussion, it’s far from the only country implementing these measures.
Australia
Australia has a law in the works for years, broken across two separate parts. Part 1 is an amendment of the 2021 Online Safety Act implementing restrictions on social media for users under 16. Part 2, coming into effect December 2025, aims to require search engines verify age through facial scans or official documents before use.
The slippery slope argument has never appeared more true as we see everything from music to social platforms and even search engines becoming targets.
Philippines
The Philippines has proposed SB40 (regulating social media platform use by minors) on July 2. Taking inspiration from Australia, this bill prohibits minors below 18 years old from accessing or using social media platforms.
First it’s the UK at 13 and under, then Australia at 16 including search engines, then the Philippines at 18. A clear and consistent trend is emerging.
United States
America has KOSA (Kids Online Safety Act). While there’s a misconception it will require ID verification like the UK or Australia, the bill language doesn’t currently require this. However, it does mandate a study on “the benefits of creating a device or operating system level age verification system” and “what information may need to be collected.”
It’s not in the bill now, but it’s probably coming soon. Just because the bill doesn’t require it doesn’t mean websites won’t implement it sooner.
Platform-Level Implementation
YouTube’s blog recently stated: “We will use AI to interpret a variety of signals that help us to determine whether a user is over or under 18. These signals include the types of videos a user is searching for, the categories of videos they have watched, or the longevity of the account.”
Using AI to monitor behavior and determine age, thereby restricting access, goes further than most people intend when agreeing to “protect the children.”
YouTube already does more than most realize. A 2023 blog post revealed they’re limiting repeated recommendations of videos that “idealize specific fitness levels or body weights” for teens. Who makes decisions about what fitness level should be deliberately suppressed?
State-Level Laws
The United States isn’t one cohesive entity. Mississippi’s House Bill 1126 is effectively a digital ID verification law for social media usage. As of January 1, 2025, Florida passed HB 3 “online protection for minors,” requiring age verification for adult entertainment websites with further implications for social media platforms.
The VPN Question
You can circumvent these verification procedures with a VPN (Virtual Private Network). Search term interest for “VPN” in the United Kingdom shows a massive increase in volume.
In response, the UK government said they’re looking “very closely” at how VPNs are used. UK Science Secretary Peter Kyle reiterated that the “vast majority of adults” are “playing by the rules” with no current plans to ban VPNs. However, nothing stops them from banning commercial service-based VPNs.
They could make it exponentially more difficult for people to access VPNs as a solution to current ID laws. Depending on where the commercial VPN exists, there’s an intelligence sharing agreement between western countries, so any data they have gets shared when subjected to proper legal process.
The Broader Implications
The initial catalyst might have been the UK, but there’s a coinciding push across many countries to restrict internet anonymity, focused on far more than just adult entertainment.
The slippery slope is on full display. Understanding that government gears turn slowly and these things have been worked on for 3-4 years, we must realize the war against the internet isn’t just beginning – it’s been waged for a long time. We’re just now seeing some missiles come down.
The future likely holds increasingly restrictive ID verification procedures across websites we didn’t initially expect, each requiring their own third-party confirmation, spreading more data across more companies with an ultimate agenda unknown.
The war on internet anonymity continues to escalate, with governments worldwide implementing age verification systems that go far beyond their stated purpose of protecting children, creating a new digital landscape where anonymity may become a relic of the past.
