WHO and France call for global mandatory age verification on internet

World Health Organization Director‑General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and French President Emmanuel Macron issued a joint statement on July 1 urging governments to adopt mandatory age‑verification systems that require government‑issued identification for all internet users. The leaders framed social media, gaming and AI services as public‑health determinants comparable to clean water or safe housing and argued that features such as infinite scrolling and autoplay are engineered to hook young people.

The statement cited a growing international consensus, noting that Australia, France, Indonesia, Spain, Ireland, the United Kingdom and Canada have already enacted or proposed age‑restriction measures for minors. Critics warned that the proposed verification regime would create a surveillance infrastructure, linking real‑world identities to online activity and raising serious privacy and free‑speech concerns.