Mozilla urges privacy-first approach to online child safety

Mozilla has urged policymakers to prioritise online child safety while warning that stricter age verification requirements alone are unlikely to address online harms and could create new risks for privacy, security and encryption.

The organisation argues that governments have a responsibility to protect children from harms associated with online platforms, including cyberbullying, harmful content and negative impacts on mental health. However, it warns that age verification systems involve significant trade-offs.

According to Mozilla, many age verification technologies rely on identity checks or other sensitive personal data, potentially increasing privacy and security risks while creating opportunities for surveillance, exclusion and discrimination.

Mozilla also questions the effectiveness of age assurance technologies in practice. It points to Australia’s ban on social media for children under 16, introduced in December 2025, arguing that many young users continue to access their accounts.

It also cites recent research on the UK’s Online Safety Act, which found that one-third of children bypassed age verification by changing their birthdate, using another person’s credentials or altering their appearance, while one-quarter of parents had helped their children circumvent age assurance measures.

Instead of relying primarily on age verification, Mozilla argues that policymakers should address the underlying design of digital platforms. It calls for restrictions on dark patterns and addictive design features that encourage excessive engagement, while highlighting the extensive collection of personal data used to personalise recommendation systems and targeted advertising.

Why does it matter?

The debate illustrates a growing policy divide over how to protect children online. While many governments are introducing stricter age verification requirements, privacy advocates and technology organisations argue that such measures should not come at the expense of users’ privacy, security or access to encrypted services.

Mozilla’s recommendations also shift attention towards platform accountability rather than user verification. By focusing on manipulative design practices and data-driven engagement models, the organisation argues that policymakers should address the structural causes of online harms instead of relying primarily on age assurance technologies.

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