everyone's arguing about whether apple or the government is to blame. the actual problem is the verification methods themselves. credit card, drivers license, or a pass card. three options that each create a centralized database linking your real identity to your device. age verification is just identity verification with a friendlier name.

the verification accepts other people's credit cards and IDs. so the 'age gate' doesn't even verify the person using the device, just that someone with a credit card touched it once. it's all the privacy cost of an identity check with none of the supposed child safety benefit