App store age verification not a silver bullet for protecting children online, experts say

Age verification at the app store level is not enough to protect children online and the government needs to take a multifaceted approach to mitigating harms, some experts say. In a recent blog post, Meta Platforms Inc. Canada argued in favour of age-verification regulations for app stores, and, according to The Canadian Press, the company has been lobbying the federal government to implement them. Reports in the Registry of Lobbyists show Meta lobbied the government in September and October “on policies and programs impacting online digital platforms and broader policy issues.” But Sharon Polsky, president of the Privacy and Access Council of Canada, says the idea is not the right approach, arguing that Meta is only proposing it in order to push the burden of regulation onto someone else. Social media platforms such as Meta’s Instagram and Facebook “are for-profit businesses,” she told The Wire Report in an interview. “Decisions are made based on liability, accountability, and bottom line. If they are the ones that will be held accountable, it invites liability, lawsuits, and payouts. They don’t want that.” Meta’s blog post said that ensuring teenagers have access to age-appropriate experiences online is a “top priority” for the company, and that “understanding the age of users is an industry-wide problem and remains a concern for most Canadians.” The Wire Report contacted Meta for an interview but did not receive a reply. Polsky argues that when children are told they can’t do something, they can often find workarounds. She says a better approach would put the onus on the companies to test their products before they go to market, ensuring there are no holes in safety features to allow breaches or workarounds. “A car has to go through testing, a toaster is not allowed to be sold until it's proven to be safe,” she says. “Technology has been given a pass.” Emily Laidlaw, Canada Research Chair on cybersecurity law at the University of Calgary, told The Wire Report while she’s not against the idea of app-store-level age verification, companies pointing fingers at each other creates confusion about who is, and should be, responsible for safety regulations. “I’m always concerned when a company comes up with a solution and says it has to be through somebody else,” Laidlaw says. In its blog post, Meta said teens use an average of more than 40 apps per week and argued that “parents need clear, efficient ways to oversee the many apps their children use – not just ours – and they expect all apps to offer the same standard of protection.” Meta also referenced a survey it commissioned Counsel Public Affairs to conduct, which reportedly found that 83 per cent of Canadian parents support policies that would require the app store to verify a user’s age before downloading apps. According to the blog, the survey accepted replies from 2,533 residents of Canada aged 18 and up. The survey was conducted in October and hosted on Leger Opinion Panel, a survey website that pays participants for their insights. But Laidlaw says that while having every app verified is a clean approach at the device level, there are loopholes to consider. Laidlaw points out that many households have shared family devices, and social media platforms and pornography sites can be accessed from the web. However, she also argues that if the regulations are put on individual services, it could result in more variable privacy approaches to age assurance. With that in mind, Laidlaw suggests that it doesn’t have to be an “either or” approach. She says age verification at the app store level would make it easier for platforms to then implement child safety features, like blocking self-harm content and removing addictive design features. She argues that since age assurance isn’t perfect, and can always be circumvented, making both sides responsible for keeping kids safe online would offer the strongest regulations. Creating safe spaces online When considering policies to protect children online, Laidlaw says the government must also properly flesh out what it is trying to protect them from. “What exactly are we age assuring?,” she says. “Just pornography? Or the entire online experience for kids? The broader that you make it, the closer you get to age-gating.” While Laidlaw supports age verification for pornography sites, she says teenagers should not be kept off the internet altogether. She argues safe access to the internet gives teenagers the freedom to grow and develop appropriately, while giving them a place to express themselves. “They explore music, they are talking with their friends, they are finding information for school projects,” she says. “We’re just so deeply connected into those spaces now.” Polsky furthers Laidlaw’s argument, saying keeping children offline at the app store level could push them towards less safe downloading options and risks leading them to fake platforms. Instead, Laidlaw suggests a softer approach of age assurance, and creating safe online spaces for teenagers to enjoy. “Age assurance is an important way to protect their privacy, to protect their minds from interference and manipulation through algorithms pushing them particularly problematic content,” she says. Australia recently banned social media for children under 16, which Laidlaw called “blunt.” She said some kids graduate at 17, giving them less than a year to adapt to social media while under their parents’ roof. Laidlaw argues there’s something to be said for training teenagers to use social media appropriately while the guard rails are still on. Otherwise, they get thrown into a full-access internet as young adults, which she says could put them in “a world of hurt.” “How is that better?,” she says. “We’re not in a better position because of it.” Laidlaw also says it is important to consider how safety measures would be implemented. She argues that children do not have the ability to consent to companies harvesting their data, and any regulations must protect their privacy. “Doing this in a sloppy way is just a no-go,” she says. Society-wide responsibility When considering policy decisions, Polsky warns against the government relying solely on information from the technology companies themselves, citing conflicts of interest. She argues the government needs to take a more holistic approach, getting input from independent privacy professionals, researchers, and people in civil liberties associations. “Yes, get input from industry, but do not hang your hat on that, because the representatives from each company are loyal to their own company,” she says. Polsky also says if parents are concerned about their younger children being online, they should not be giving them devices in the first place. “I don't care how much your child is saying ‘Mommy, Mommy, please’ and driving you crazy,” she says. “There's a responsibility, be the adult in the room and say, ‘no.’” According to Meta’s blog post, the survey found that 90 per cent of respondents believe parents are responsible for determining what is age appropriate for their children. But Laidlaw says it is not so simple, and that education on online harms is lacking. She supports empowering families and schools with the knowledge and tools to be safe, but calls it a “whole of society problem.” “It’s so far beyond what any one family or teacher can do,” she says. Laidlaw says the need to implement effective safety regulations is urgent, and that kids these days are extremely vulnerable. “There’s no way to address this properly except through business regulations,” she says. Polsky pointed to Albert Einstein’s theory of insanity, saying the government needs to stop trying the same things and expecting different results. “It won't be a quick win for any government,” she says. “And governments, especially these days, are increasingly under the gun to show that they're doing something, anything. So they want a quick win, but it's going to bite them and it's going to bite us.” mcollins@thewirereport.ca

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App store age verification not a silver bullet for protecting children online, experts say

Regulatory | By Maria Collins |December 5, 2025

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Regulatory |
By Maria Collins
|December 5, 2025