> I see a lot of comments here arguing age requirements are overreach and these decisions should be left to the parents. To those presenting such arguments, do you think that applies to other activities as well? What about smoking/drinking/firearms? Pornography? Driving?

All of the things on your list are primarily enforced by parents already.

This law is regulatory capture that's going to strengthen the monopolies of the exact social media sites that you allude to. It makes it harder for smaller, focused sites to exist. Instead the only option will be sites with algorithmic feeds that currently push right-wing nazi propaganda, anti-vaxxers, flat earthers, nihilist school shooting clubs for teenagers, or whatever fresh hell the internet came up with this morning.

If you think age verification is going to fix these problems on the big sites, I suggest watching YouTube Kids. Actually, don't. I wouldn't wish that trauma on anyone. Seriously.