The UK's Online Safety Act, which mandates content blocking and age verification to protect children online, has led to a sharp decline in traffic to UK pornographic websites as its age verification requirements are fully implemented. Meanwhile, in the United States, the Supreme Court allowed Mississippi's social media age verification law to take effect, requiring platforms to verify user ages, obtain parental consent for minors, and block harmful content. Critics, including the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) and journalists, argue that these laws increase risks rather than enhance child safety, leading to technical failures, over-censorship, expanded surveillance, and suppression of dissent. There are calls for more responsible design and privacy protections instead of broad age thresholds that result in excessive censorship and surveillance. Public opinion also reflects concerns that such laws could be used by governments to censor online content under the guise of child safety.