While the "required piece of technology" aspect is debatable, there is certainly enough demand for it that it is going to happen in one way or another.

So I agree that instead of fighting some change that I think is inevitable, they should make it so that it works in the most privacy-conscious way possible. And I mean with real technical solutions, like an open-source app or browser extension you can download, a proof-of-concept server for age verification, etc... using the best crypto has to offer.