UK Under-16 Social Media Ban Gives Platforms an Impossible Compliance Choice

The UK's announced under-16 social media ban demands genuine age verification, not self-declaration. Platforms must choose between document-based checks (GDPR friction), OS-level signals (dependent on Apple and Google), or parental consent (easily gamed). None closes the gap between legal intent and technical reality. Australia's 2024 precedent will reveal whether enforcement can actually shrink user bases or merely creates compliance theater.