The European Commission Tuesday launched a consultation on draft guidelines for protecting minors online under the Digital Services Act. The move offers privacy attorneys a golden opportunity to influence next-generation child protection, one lawyer said.
Four porn sites were sued Monday for allegedly failing to implement age verification on their websites as Kansas law requires, announced the National Center on Sexual Exploitation (NCOSE) Law Center, co-counsel for the suits. Filed on behalf of a 14-year-old minor in the U.S. District Court for Kansas, the suits are the first in the U.S. that challenge violations of age-verification laws, NCOSE said.
A Louisiana app store age-verification bill passed the House unanimously on Monday. Members voted 99-0 to send HB-570 to the Senate. The House Commerce Committee last week cleared the bill, which would require age verification by app stores before users can download apps (see 2505050064). Also Monday, the Louisiana House approved a genomic privacy measure (see 2505120064).
Age-verification tools are not a silver bullet that will protect children and young people on internet sites and social media platforms, speakers said Monday at a session of the European Dialogue on Internet Governance.
Incorporating children's and teen safety into privacy has led to a variety of approaches under state law, said two Latham Watkins attorneys on a panel at the Privacy + Security Forum spring academy Friday. An age-gate is the best way for companies to ensure compliance with all of them, they added.
An Arizona anti-porn measure requiring age verification passed the legislature Wednesday, which then sent it to Gov. Katie Hobbs (D). The House voted 35-23 to concur and re-pass HB-2112 after the Sentate passed the bill the day before (see 2505070013).
Multiple state legislature chambers this week passed bills aimed at protecting kids online.
Using consent to preserve privacy has pros and cons, said panelists at the Privacy + Security Forum Spring Academy Wednesday. However, ensuring that consent is gained effectively and truthfully is one of the best ways to safeguard information, they added.
New York state Senate committees approved a variety of bills on biometrics at hearings this week. An age-verification measure failed to advance, however.
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