Age checks on social media pose security risks, expert warns

More countries are moving to impose age restrictions on social media for children, but cybersecurity experts warn the verification systems themselves could create new risks, Swedish broadcaster SVT reports.

Canada, the UK, Australia and Denmark have already introduced age limits, and Sweden may follow. Yet in Australia, which led the way, young users have already found ways to bypass the rules.

IT security expert Karl Emil Nikka cited the case of Discord, where users were asked to hold up their passports for verification. “Discord promised that no passport images would be stored. Still, they accidentally leaked thousands of users’ passport photos,” he said.

Nikka called the practice of scanning passports “the most insane thing we see,” highlighting the dangers when platforms handle their own age verification.