'More harm than good': Why hundreds of researchers want a pause on online age verification
2026-03-03
The Indian Express
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Over 370 security and privacy experts from 29 countries have urged governments to pause the rollout of AI-driven age verification systems on social media. They warn these systems, already used or planned in countries like France and Australia, pose significant privacy, security, and autonomy risks without sufficient safeguards or understanding.[AI generated]
Why's our monitor labelling this an incident or hazard?
The event involves AI systems used for age verification and estimation, which are explicitly described as using biometric data, behavior analysis, and identity verification—tasks indicative of AI. The concerns raised relate to potential harms including privacy violations, security risks, and discrimination, which align with the definitions of harm in the framework. However, the article focuses on warnings and potential risks rather than reporting actual incidents of harm caused by these AI systems. Thus, the event fits the definition of an AI Hazard, where the development and use of AI systems could plausibly lead to harm but such harm has not yet been realized or documented at scale.[AI generated]