Part 5/9:
A significant concern raised by Long pertains to the enforcement challenges. The legislation places the responsibility on the platforms themselves—Google, TikTok, Meta—to verify the age of users. However, current technological solutions for accurate age verification are flawed and easily bypassable; children can simply set false birth dates to gain access.
Long pointed out that the error margin in existing age verification technologies can be substantial—up to a year or more—meaning a 15-year-old might be mistaken for a 16-year-old, thus potentially gaining access that the law intends to restrict. This presents a real challenge to the effectiveness of the ban, with enforcement relying heavily on corporate responsibility rather than foolproof technical measures.