first amendment arguments against age / identity verification

[http://dummy.us.eu.org/robert (Robert)]

I asked Brave search "what is the first amendment argument against
digital-based age and identity verification laws for using social media
and operating systems?"  It said:

The First Amendment argument against digital-based age and identity
verification laws centers on the protection of free speech, anonymity, and
the prohibition of prior restraints on expression. These laws are
challenged as unconstitutional because they impose broad restrictions on
access to protected speech, burden adult usersâ rights, and
function as content-based prior restraintsâespecially when applied
to social media and general-purpose online platforms.

Free speech and overbreadth: Courts have consistently ruled that social
media and app stores host "vast quantities of constitutionally protected
speech," and restricting access based on age verification chills protected
expression for both minors and adults.  The Supreme Court has held that
the government lacks a "free-floating power to restrict the ideas to which
children may be exposed," meaning states cannot broadly censor content
accessible to minors without narrowly tailored solutions.

Anonymity and privacy as First Amendment rights: The right to anonymous
speech is well-established, and mandating identity verificationâvia
government IDs, biometrics, or credit dataâundermines this
protection.  Requiring users to submit sensitive personal information to
access online platforms creates a significant barrier to free expression,
particularly for whistleblowers, activists, journalists, and marginalized
youth.

Prior restraint and disproportionate burden: Age verification acts as a
prior restraint on speech, forcing users to obtain permission (via ID or
parental consent) before accessing information.  This shifts control from
parents to the state and imposes onerous requirements on adults to prove
their age, even when accessing lawful content. As seen in Texasâs
App Store Accountability Act, requiring parental consent for every app
download infringes on minorsâ autonomy and parentsâ rights
to make private decisions.

  * The Supreme Courtâs 2025 decision in Free Speech Coalition v.
    Paxton narrowly upheld age verification only for sexual content deemed
    harmful to minors, applying intermediate scrutiny.

  * However, the ruling does not extend to social media or general online
    platforms, where courts have blocked similar laws in Arkansas, Ohio, and
    Georgia over First Amendment concerns.

  * Critics argue that even self-attested age collection at the operating
    system levelâsuch as under proposed federal legislation like the
    Parents Decide Act (H.R. 8250)âcreates a persistent identity
    infrastructure that erodes anonymity and enables surveillance.

In sum, the core constitutional objection is that age and identity
verification mandates, especially when broadly applied, violate the First
Amendment by restricting protected speech, eliminating anonymity, and
imposing disproportionate, content-based barriers to online access.