New age-verification laws spreading across U.S. states require social platforms to verify user ages, but the technology captures sensitive data from all users, according to CNBC. Privacy advocates warn the systems create permanent databases of browsing habits, biometric data, and government IDs that could be breached or misused. Major platforms including Meta and Google face costly compliance decisions as verification requirements vary by state. The tension between child safety and adult privacy rights is forcing a reckoning over internet anonymity and government oversight.