The Foundation for Information Policy Research (FIPR) warned that proposed age verification systems could expose children to greater risks including blackmail and abuse. The think tank submitted evidence to the Department of Science, Innovation and Technology arguing that mandatory age checks fail to address harmful social media content while creating dangerous data trails for all users.

Age verification methods under consideration include biometric data, credit cards, and government-issued identification. However, FIPR points out these systems perform poorly for minority and disabled groups, and could normalize repeated age checking across the internet. This creates opportunities for criminals to harvest biometric data or financial information from verification processes.

The Children's Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026 grants sweeping powers to the Secretary of State without parliamentary oversight. FIPR proposes an alternative 'tagging and blocking' approach where internet providers classify content like film ratings, allowing parents to control what their children see without universal data collection.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer plans to implement minimum age restrictions for social media within months, following Australia's December 2025 ban. Despite parental support for restrictions, FIPR argues these measures shift responsibility away from platforms while potentially excluding vulnerable adults from digital services entirely.