In the rush to protect children online, lawmakers are implementing age verification schemes that pose a significant threat to everyone's privacy and security. These systems force users to reveal sensitive personal information to third parties merely to access online content. This centralization of data creates a tempting honeypot for malicious actors, leading to potential leaks, hacks, and misuse. This isn't just theoretical; age verification companies have already been compromised in the past. ### The Honeypot Effect Age-gating the web transforms private user data into a valuable target for cybercriminals. The **EFF** is working to prevent this by engaging with lawmakers, promoting public awareness, and combating the proliferation of age verification proposals globally.  Support digital rights in EFF's new Claw Back member t-shirt and Privacy Badger Crewneck. ### More Than Just a Bug: A Feature of Censorship and Surveillance While the intention to safeguard young people online is commendable, it shouldn't come at the cost of everyone's digital rights. These restrictive mandates can be exploited to justify government-led censorship and expanded surveillance, which presents a serious risk of abuse. The **EFF** emphasizes that handing over the keys to new forms of censorship and surveillance, regardless of trust in current lawmakers, is a dangerous precedent. History demonstrates that such powers are often misused. *EFF is a member-supported U.S. 501(c)(3) organization.*