📊 Our December 2025 survey found 92% of parents are concerned about providing their child’s personal information for age verification. Protecting kids online shouldn’t mean risking their data offline. Learn more at connectxprotect.org

#MentalHealthMonth may be coming to a close, but it's always a good time to learn more about how to foster safe online experiences for kids and teens. Check out this resource from Mental Health America on Social Media and Youth Mental Health. mhanational.org/resources/so...

Resistance to an age-gated internet is mounting, as both everyday users and open source developers push back. @linuxfoundation.org SVP Michael Dolan on age verification mandates: “This is security theater, not improved child safety.” More in @verge: www.theverge.com/tech/930573/...

📊91% of parents worry that age verification only from app stores, but not from web browsers, would still leave kids exposed to harmful content. Partial policies = partial protection. Kids deserve better than loopholes. Learn more 🔗: connectxprotect.org

"So a law sold as protecting children’s data will, in reality, build databases of children’s and parents’ government IDs, held by the same tech companies the bill treats as untrustworthy." Age verification has never been about protecting children. reclaimthenet.org/south-caroli...

A @pewresearch.org survey shows nearly 70% of parents say parenting is harder than it was 20 years ago, with social media cited as a top reason. Parents need real solutions, not policies that create new risks. www.pewresearch.org/internet/202...

"Once identity checks to access websites become normalized, any site can request that personal data and sell it, with little to no ability for users to meaningfully opt out or rectify the situation." @aliyabhatia.bsky.social on the fallout of age verification: www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

💡 In analysis from the Phoenix Center, chief economist Lawrence Spiwak emphasizes why we need to get it right on age verification solutions that both protect children online and ensure the First Amendment rights of users: phoenix-center.org/PolicyBullet...

Expanding data collection without strong safeguards puts kids at risk. Our children deserve to be better protected, online and off. More from Javelin Strategies: javelinstrategy.com/whitepapers/...

Parents, you aren't alone in wanting to protect your kids online. Teens & parents expressed concerns about age verification in a recent survey. “As far as taking a picture with the ID, that seemed really intrusive to me.” – Parent to two teens, 16 and 13 More from @cdt.org: cdt.org/insights/tee...

In The Guardian, CDT's Aliya Bhatia breaks down why age verification laws are a threat to everyone online, not just kids. 25+ states now require websites to verify users' ages, potentially forcing you to hand over govt ID or face scans just to browse.

Meta says it will use AI to scan for “visual cues” that a user is under 13. This breakdown argues that protecting kids should not require mass surveillance or biometric profiling: conservativeladiesofamerica.substack.com/p/metas-new-... #Privacy #ChildSafety #AgeVerification

From @masnick.com @techdirt.com: 438 experts warned that online age verification is ineffective, easy to bypass, and a serious privacy threat. So why are governments pushing ahead? Learn more about what’s being built and what it could cost us: www.techdirt.com/2026/04/14/4...

Terry Samuel sat down with AEI's Shane Tews, the "Family IT Guy" Ben Gillenwater and national edtech leader Dr. Joseph South for a discussion on #DigitalSafety and how we can create an online environment that lets kids be kids. 📽️: connectxprotect.org/updates/2026/05/04/panel-on-digital-safety/

The age assurance landscape is changing fast. An updated infographic from @futureofprivacy.bsky.social, Unpacking Age Assurance: Technologies and Tradeoffs, breaks down the latest tech & policy developments. Check out the companion blog to learn more ➡️ fpf.org/blog/fpf-rel...

"Cutting children off from technology, rather than teaching them how to safely use it, leaves them unprepared for the modern world and denies them the benefits of technology until they reach an arbitrary age." Read more from @itif.org's Alex Ambrose: itif.org/publications...

Last week, David McGarry of the Taxpayers Protection Alliance looked at the latest example of insecure age verification regimes as the EU insists on creating a vulnerable digital database. Full piece here: www.theblaze.com/columns/opin...

#ICYMI: We don’t protect kids online by checking their age or blocking their access entirely. We protect them by fixing the systems designed to exploit them. More in this @postandcourier.bsky.social op-ed from executive director Terence Samuel: shorturl.at/TmVmO

Keeping kids safe online matters, but forcing everyone to upload sensitive info to use apps risks privacy, security, and free speech. Better: strong parental controls, less data collection, and smarter, age-appropriate protections. More from @siiapolicy.bsky.social: www.siia.net/unintended-c...

Did you know that nearly 2 million children in the US have personally identifiable info exposed each year in data breaches? Policy solutions must prioritize both safety and privacy. Let's empower parents to teach their kids and teens to explore the internet responsibly. 🎥 youtu.be/wXTo8Th1zjE

#NEWS: From @cnbc.com: Online age-verification tools spread across U.S. for child safety, but adults are being surveilled Full story: www.cnbc.com/2026/03/08/s...

"Where is this information going? How will it be stored and protected? Who is verifying my children’s identification?" @ccianet.bsky.social State Policy Director Megan Stokes raises important questions about using IDs for age verification in @washtimes.bsky.social: go.shr.lc/4sZ7Vhu

Nearly 80% of parents believe tech companies have a responsibility to protect children from inappropriate online content. The responsibility shouldn’t be shifted onto families or “solved” with flawed, incomplete policies. More from @pewresearch.org: www.pewresearch.org/internet/202...

Some child‑safety advocates say app store age checks aren’t the solution to protecting kids online. Federal proposals would require age verification and parental consent — but @connectxprotect.bsky.social warns of privacy risks and easy workarounds. #OnlineSafety #TechPolicy

"There is a better path that respects both family and freedom. Enforce existing rules against deception, coercion and exploitation. Give parents real visibility and tools they can actually use." Read Christopher Koopman's thoughtful piece in @wsj.com: www.wsj.com/opinion/free...

Age verification at the app store won’t protect kids. It shifts responsibility away from harmful platforms, creates privacy risks and is easy for teens to bypass. In @postandcourier.bsky.social, Terence Samuel explains how lawmakers are solving the wrong problem. shorturl.at/TmVmO

Connect x Protect envisions an internet where kids and teens can safely learn, explore and grow, and where families, not corporations or governments, guide the rules of engagement. 💡 Check out our Statement of Principles for a Safer Digital Future: connectxprotect.org/principles/

📣 Introducing Connect x Protect, a campaign dedicated to advancing smart, balanced and effective policies that protect kids and teens online while safeguarding privacy and parental choice. 🔗 Learn more about our mission and get involved: connectxprotect.org/mission/