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anal_reactor | on: European "age verification" "app" forcing everyone to use Android or iOS
> Seriously, there is something tremendously wrong with governance when politicians keep changing the whole world around us, without us having any say in it at all.

That's where you're wrong. Most people actually do agree with age verification. Just because a decision is stupid it doesn't mean it's undemocratic. Trump was elected democratically, twice. Brexit passed through a referendum.

jck86 | parent | next
Most people are in favor of solving world hunger, poverty, the wars and climate change. Until you hand them the bill. Likewise most people will not agree with age verification when actually implemented.
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roundabout-host | parent | next
Maybe it depends on how you frame it.

> Social media is destroying children's brains! Do you want access to be delayed until a certain age?

> Do you want children under a certain age to be banned from social media, which means that you will now have to give your ID, only with Android or iOS?

anal_reactor | root | parent
> only with Android or iOS

99% of people understand this as "you need a smartphone" which is not a problem in 2026, even for the elderly.

roundabout-host | root | parent
"only if you choose to share your personal data with either Google or Apple"?
anal_reactor | root | parent
How is that different from having a banking app installed? Or a government ID app?
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roundabout-host | root | parent | next
What you can do with the ID app, you can also do on paper (if not with a Web service), except "age verification".
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spwa4 | parent
Luckily, the EU's current structure was put to a referendum. That referendum then failed to get the votes needed, so they implemented it anyway. Much superior.

It's just like democracy. Without the "dem(b)" part. Much better now.

We have such warm feelings about it! What could possibly go wrong with doing such strong governance and extreme-right parties polling at record highs in more than half the EU countries? We have warm feelings now. Or maybe the warm feelings the result of 30 years of climate action in the EU. Luckily, the extreme right is hard at work defending our right to airconditioning!