[specialist]

Social media (et al) already know each user's age.

They could "protect the children" at will. They simply choose not to.

Why this kabuki?

  "Yes, please, regulate us" while making any formal regulation moot?

  Directing attention away from the bot plague?

  Pushing age verification to protect their algorithmic hate machines?

  Monkey motion to avoid talking about true privacy? (Specifically, all data encrypted *at rest* using translucent database strategies.)

In conclusion, I can't treat these age verification proposals as good faith efforts while the core rot of the social medias remain unmitigated.