Deux projets en Suisse veulent imposer une vérification obligatoire de l’âge sur les réseaux sociaux : la pétition déposée à la confédération intitulée “Schützt unsere Kinder – Social Media erst ab 16” et le projet de loi LPnum porté par les Verts. L’intention affichée est légitime : protéger les jeunes face aux risques liés à l’usage intensif des plateformes numériques. Mais la solution proposée est dangereuse, disproportionnée et inefficace.

HTTPS, anciennement Parti Pirate Vaudois, défend les libertés numériques, la vie privée et un Internet ouvert. Pour nous, ces projets sont une mauvaise réponse à un vrai problème.

Une mesure intrusive qui menace nos droits fondamentaux

Vérifier l’âge peut sembler anodin au premier abord, mais dans la pratique, c’est une mesure intrusive qui remet en cause plusieurs droits essentiels. Elle porte atteinte à la vie privée, car toute vérification impose de fournir des documents d’identité, des données biométriques ou de passer par un tiers de confiance. Dès lors se posent les questions fondamentales : qui stockera ces données, qui y aura accès et quelles garanties existeront contre les fuites et les abus ?

Cette obligation signe aussi la fin du pseudonymat en ligne. Or, de nombreux utilisateurs — journalistes, militants, victimes de violence de tous âges — dépendent de la possibilité de s’exprimer sous un nom d’emprunt pour se protéger. Imposer une preuve d’identité reviendrait à supprimer cette protection essentielle.

Les risques de censure sont également importants. Les catégories de contenus interdits aux mineurs sont souvent définies de manière vague, et l’expérience montre que cela aboutit à restreindre l’accès à des informations légitimes. Des ressources éducatives sur la santé, la sexualité, l’éducation ou encore les droits humains se sont déjà retrouvées bloquées au nom d’une protection mal définie.

L’exemple de ciao.ch, une plateforme suisse de prévention et de dialogue destinée aux jeunes, illustre parfaitement ce danger. Bien que ce site ait pour objectif de soutenir les adolescents et de répondre à leurs questions sensibles, il pourrait être considéré comme un “réseau social” et se voir interdit ou fortement limité par ce type de législation. Il serait particulièrement contre-productif que des projets censés protéger la jeunesse restreignent l’accès à un outil pensé justement pour l’accompagner.

Enfin, une telle mesure accentuerait l’exclusion numérique. Tout le monde n’a pas un accès facile à des papiers d’identité reconnus, à un système de vérification numérique ou aux compétences pour les utiliser. Les personnes sans-papiers, migrantes, âgées ou en situation précaire risqueraient de se voir exclues d’une partie de l’espace numérique. Ces personnes seraient alors privées des contacts avec leurs proches ou leur communauté.

Quand les experts sonnent l’alarme

L’Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), organisation internationale de défense des libertés numériques, a documenté les effets pervers de ces mesures. Elle montre que la vérification d’âge produit un effet dissuasif même sur les adultes, qui hésitent à consulter certains contenus par crainte d’être surveillés. Cet effet a déjà des conséquences concrètes observables, puisque de nombreux créateurs de contenue pratiquent une autocensure avérée lorsqu’il s’agit de parler de sujets historiques ou de santé, cela pour se conformer à l’opinion ou aux allégeances politiques des propriétaires des réseaux sociaux, qui constituent leur moyen d’expression publique principal. Sur Youtube, les vulgarisateurs doivent aujourd’hui user de périphrases ridicules lorsqu’ils produisent du contenu sur l’histoire du milieu du XXe siècle ; il en va de même pour les associations de prévention contre le viol ou l’inceste. Cela crée un dangereux effet de minimisation du propos et nuit gravement à des messages d’intérêt public majeur.

Elle alerte aussi sur les dérives vers une surveillance généralisée, où l’identité deviendrait une condition préalable à chaque action en ligne. Enfin, elle démontre que ces dispositifs restreignent souvent l’accès à des contenus éducatifs ou communautaires, en particulier pour les jeunes LGBTQ+.

Des alternatives plus sûres et plus efficaces

Protéger les enfants et les adolescents est une nécessité. Mais cette mission ne doit pas justifier la mise en place d’un système de contrôle généralisé. D’autres solutions existent et devraient être privilégiées. L’éducation numérique, par exemple, permet de donner aux jeunes les outils pour comprendre et gérer les risques en ligne. Les familles peuvent être accompagnées avec des outils de contrôle parental qui leur permettent de réguler l’usage des écrans sans imposer de restrictions à l’ensemble de la société.

La transparence des plateformes doit aussi être exigée : il est temps que les réseaux sociaux rendent publics leurs algorithmes, leurs pratiques de modération et leurs effets sur la santé des jeunes. Enfin, des réglementations ciblées, comme l’interdiction des publicités abusives ou la limitation des fonctionnalités addictives, seraient bien plus efficaces que l’imposition d’une vérification d’identité pour tous. L’interopérabilité et la portabilité entre les plateformes permettra aussi de s’en extirper sans perdre les contacts que l’on s’y est fait en passant d’une plateforme à l’autre. Cela limiterait la dépendance aux plateformes existantes et offrirait l’opportunité à de nouvelles plateformes de voir le jour sur des paradigmes différents.

Conclusion : protéger les enfants sans sacrifier nos libertés

L’obligation de prouver son âge sur les réseaux sociaux semble protectrice, mais elle est en réalité dangereuse et contre-productive. Elle ouvrirait la porte à un Internet surveillé, centralisé et inégalitaire, sans garantir une véritable protection des jeunes.

La meilleure façon de protéger les enfants n’est pas de contrôler toute la population, mais de renforcer l’éducation, la responsabilité et la transparence des plateformes.

Le Parti HTTPS-VD s’oppose donc clairement à ces projets. C’est uniquement en garantissant en premier lieu la protection de la vie privée, de la liberté d’expression et de l’accès à la connaissance que nous pourront garantir la protection de nos enfants et de leur avenir.

Sources

• act.campax.org/petitions/schut…

• github.com/grueneschweiz/LPnum

• eff.org/deeplinks/2025/01/impa…

• eff.org/deeplinks/2023/04/plat…

According to a BDS statement, Carrefour operations in both countries—run by the Emirati Majid Al Futtaim Group—were shut down after suffering “heavy financial losses” and reputational damage linked to the company’s complicity in Israeli actions against Palestinians.

The global boycott campaign against Carrefour was launched in December 2022, after revelations that Carrefour Israel had provided food baskets and gift packages to Israeli soldiers and organized fundraising drives on their behalf. The group also accused the chain of forging partnerships with Israeli banks and tech companies implicated in human rights violations.

https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20250923-carrefour-exits-bahrain-and-kuwait-after-boycott-pressure-bds-says/

https://www.telesurenglish.net/cuba-calls-for-celac-unity-in-the-face-of-u-s-military-deployment/

A skilled drone pilot flew two to three large unidentified drones over Copenhagen Airport on Monday night, shutting down the airspace for hours as the unknown perpetrator appeared to be showing off their capabilities over Scandinavia’s largest airport, police said Tuesday.

Danish police investigate after drones flew over Copenhagen Airport for hours - Wings Magazine

COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — A skilled drone pilot flew two to three large unidentified drones over Copenhagen Airport on Monday night, shutting down the

^{Wings Staff (Wings Magazine)}

WARSAW - Border crossings between Poland and Belarus will be reopened on midnight from Wednesday to Thursday, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on Tuesday.

Archived version: archive.is/newest/straitstimes…

Disclaimer: The article linked is from a single source with a single perspective. Make sure to cross-check information against multiple sources to get a comprehensive view on the situation.

Poland to reopen border crossings with Belarus, PM says

WARSAW - Border crossings between Poland and Belarus will be reopened on midnight from Wednesday to Thursday, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on Tuesday. Read more at straitstimes.com.

^ST

The Dutch flag carrier has provisionally canceled more than 100 flights tomorrow as it prepares to face disruption as a result of the strike.

KLM Ground Staff Striking In Amsterdam Tomorrow: 6-Hour Walkout To Cause Extensive Disruption

The Dutch flag carrier has also proactively retimed some flights to reduce passenger disruption elsewhere.

^{Jake Hardiman (KLM)}

Errol Musk, rarely mentioned by his tech billionaire son, dismissed New York Times report as ‘nonsense’ and ‘false’

Elon Musk’s father accused of sexually abusing his children and stepchildren

^{Edward Helmore (The Guardian)}

The EU is probing three U.S. tech firms and one European company regarding how well they protect users against online scams.

https://www.neowin.net/news/microsoft-google-and-apple-are-being-probed-over-online-scam-protections/

Ed Davey claimed the Reform UK leader would roll back gun laws and allow social media barons to ‘poison young minds’ if he becomes PM

Farage will roll back gun laws and turn Britain into Trump’s America, Ed Davey claims

^{Archie Mitchell (The Independent)}

The model is already available to government agencies in the United States and a handful of other countries.

Meta to grant EU institutions access to AI model Llama for national security purposes

^{Gabriela Galvin (Euronews.com)}

Sorry, your one-year-old CPU is already on the back burner.

Intel drops day zero game driver support for chips released last year — last-gen iGPUs on 14th-gen Core and older CPUs already put on the backburner of legacy software support

^{Jowi Morales (Tom's Hardware)}

Several shots have been fired at the door to the record company Warner Music's office in central Stockholm and the company's employees have been urged to stay at home, TT reports. A high-ranking executive at the record company has previously been subjected to threats, extortion and a bombing.

Archived version: archive.is/newest/swedenherald…

Disclaimer: The article linked is from a single source with a single perspective. Make sure to cross-check information against multiple sources to get a comprehensive view on the situation.

Shots Fired at Warner Music Office in Stockholm Prompt Staff Warning

^{TT (Sweden Herald)}

https://jornalggn.com.br/opiniao/as-declaracoes-de-lula-e-a-pratica-do-governo-por-paulo-kliass/

Swedish activist Greta Thunberg leaves her board assignment for Global Sumud Flotilla, reports Spanish El Mundo with reference to Italian left-wing newspaper Il Manifesto

Archived version: archive.is/newest/swedenherald…

Disclaimer: The article linked is from a single source with a single perspective. Make sure to cross-check information against multiple sources to get a comprehensive view on the situation.

Greta Thunberg Steps Down from Gaza Flotilla Steering Group

^{TT (Sweden Herald)}

A procurement plan obtained by POLITICO shows Berlin’s rearmament spree will overwhelmingly benefit European industry.

Archived version: archive.is/20250923133000/poli…

Disclaimer: The article linked is from a single source with a single perspective. Make sure to cross-check information against multiple sources to get a comprehensive view on the situation.

Germany’s €80B rearmament plan sidelines US weapons

^{Chris Lunday (POLITICO)}

He gave $50,400 to charities days before his sentencing was scheduled.

Archived version: archive.is/20250923033613/nzhe…

Disclaimer: The article linked is from a single source with a single perspective. Make sure to cross-check information against multiple sources to get a comprehensive view on the situation.

Wealthy NZ family member guilty of having child abuse images given sentence discount for donation

^{Katie Harris (The New Zealand Herald)}

China is set to roll out a new K-Visa for young science and technology professionals from October 1, even as the US imposes a $100,000 fee on H-1B visas

Archived version: archive.is/20250923131200/busi…

Disclaimer: The article linked is from a single source with a single perspective. Make sure to cross-check information against multiple sources to get a comprehensive view on the situation.

Three charges against Duterte stem from his years-long campaign against drug users and dealers that rights groups say killed thousands

Archived version: archive.is/20250923032357/theg…

Disclaimer: The article linked is from a single source with a single perspective. Make sure to cross-check information against multiple sources to get a comprehensive view on the situation.

Rodrigo Duterte, former Philippines president, charged with crimes against humanity at ICC

^{Guardian staff reporter (The Guardian)}

As Israel Withholds Over $3 Billion in Tax Revenues, Ramallah Is Seeking Emergency Donor Funding While Warning That Collapse of the PA Would Render Global Recognition Efforts Meaningless. Saudi and French Backing Are Viewed as Key at the Upcoming UN Donor Conference

Archived version: archive.is/20250923125113/haar…

Disclaimer: The article linked is from a single source with a single perspective. Make sure to cross-check information against multiple sources to get a comprehensive view on the situation.

Palestinian Authority in talks with Saudi Arabia, France on economic safety net amid Israeli threats

As Israel withholds over $3 billion in tax revenues, Ramallah is seeking emergency donor funding while warning that collapse of the PA would render global recognition efforts meaningless.

^{Jack Khoury (Haaretz)}

Company to shut 19 shops and convert five to Whole Foods outlets, after concept of stores without tills fails to catch on

All Amazon Fresh stores in UK to close

^{Lauren Almeida (The Guardian)}

The Allenby Crossing is the sole entry and exit point for Palestinians from the West Bank travelling abroad by land.

Archived version: archive.is/newest/euronews.com…

Disclaimer: The article linked is from a single source with a single perspective. Make sure to cross-check information against multiple sources to get a comprehensive view on the situation.

Israel to close border crossing between West Bank and Jordan, officials say

^{Gavin Blackburn (Euronews.com)}

Ever wondered what’s playing on TV in Tokyo, Rio, or Cairo — right now?
I built this: worldtv.onrender.com/
(Heads up: may show “Ошибка загрузки” — just click “Повторить”)

Built for curiosity. Code open. Feedback welcome.
Sometimes it’s news. Sometimes — a jungle cam 🐒

Online users have flagged the video to Nintendo and described it as ‘ICE propaganda’

Homeland Security ridiculed online over video comparing migrants to Pokémon

^{Taz Ali (The Independent)}

Spain has approved a "total" arms embargo on Israel as part of measures aimed at stopping the genocide in Gaza.

Archived version: archive.is/newest/middleeastey…

Disclaimer: The article linked is from a single source with a single perspective. Make sure to cross-check information against multiple sources to get a comprehensive view on the situation.

Spain declares 'total' arms embargo on Israel

^{Middle East Eye}

As students push for MIT to drop projects tied to the Israeli military, the school has obscured information about the funding.

MIT Professor Cancels Israeli Military Grant After Student Pressure

^{Akela Lacy (The Intercept)}

Western governments recognize Palestine as a state, but critics say it's just a symbolic gesture.

Archived version: archive.is/newest/commondreams…

Disclaimer: The article linked is from a single source with a single perspective. Make sure to cross-check information against multiple sources to get a comprehensive view on the situation.

Western Governments Recognize Palestinian State, But Continue to Fund Israeli Government Making It Inviable

"Instead of halting genocide and forced starvation... we are told to focus on a fantasy of statehood," said one critic of Western governments' response to Israel.

^{brad-reed (Common Dreams)}

In an interview Sunday, the top Senate Democrat hesitated to commit to voting 'no' on a Republican funding bill, even without any concessions on a policy that would lead to higher healthcare premiums for millions.

Progressives Fear Schumer Will 'Cave' Again in Budget Fight

In an interview Sunday, the top Senate Democrat hesitated to commit to voting 'no' on a Republican funding bill, even without any concessions on a policy that would lead to higher healthcare premiums for millions.

^{stephen-prager (Common Dreams)}

404 Media has filed a lawsuit against ICE for access to its contract with Paragon, a company that sells powerful spyware for breaking into phones and accessing encrypted messaging apps.

On Monday 404 Media filed a lawsuit against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) demanding the agency publish its $2 million contract with Paragon, a company that makes powerful spyware that can remotely break into mobile phones without the target even clicking a link. The sale of the spyware to ICE has activists and lawmakers deeply concerned about what the agency, which continues to push the Trump administration’s mass deportation effort, may use the technology for. The contract and related documents 404 Media is suing for may provide more information on what ICE intends to do with the spyware.

“404 Media has asked ICE to disclose agency records relating to its contract with a company known for its powerful spyware tool whose potential use in the agency’s ongoing mass-deportation campaign has prompted lawmakers, civil liberties organizations, and immigration groups to express deep concerns over potential civil rights abuses,” the lawsuit says.

404 Media first filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request with ICE for documents related to its Paragon purchase in September 2024. Under the law, agencies are required to provide a response within 20 days, or provide an explanation of why they need more time. ICE acknowledged receipt of the request in September 2024, but has not since replied to any follow up inquiries. 404 Media then filed the lawsuit.

404 Media ICE Lawsuit

^{www.documentcloud.org}

404 Media

2025-09-22 16:23:51

We’re Suing ICE for Its $2 Million Spyware Contract

On Monday 404 Media filed a lawsuit against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) demanding the agency publish its $2 million contract with Paragon, a company that makes powerful spyware that can remotely break into mobile phones without the target even clicking a link. The sale of the spyware to ICE has activists and lawmakers deeply concerned about what the agency, which continues to push the Trump administration’s mass deportation effort, may use the technology for. The contract and related documents 404 Media is suing for may provide more information on what ICE intends to do with the spyware.

“404 Media has asked ICE to disclose agency records relating to its contract with a company known for its powerful spyware tool whose potential use in the agency’s ongoing mass-deportation campaign has prompted lawmakers, civil liberties organizations, and immigration groups to express deep concerns over potential civil rights abuses,” the lawsuit says.

404 Media first filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request with ICE for documents related to its Paragon purchase in September 2024. Under the law, agencies are required to provide a response within 20 days, or provide an explanation of why they need more time. ICE acknowledged receipt of the request in September 2024, but has not since replied to any follow up inquiries. 404 Media then filed the lawsuit.

ICE signed the contract with Paragon’s U.S. subsidiary in September 2024. Soon after, the then Biden White House put a freeze on the deal as it investigated whether it clashed with a Biden executive order restricting the government’s use of spyware, WIRED reported. At the end of August with Trump in power, ICE reactivated the contract, independent journalist Jack Poulson reported.

💡
Do you know anything else about Paragon, this contract, or any others? I would love to hear from you. Using a non-work device, you can message me securely on Signal at joseph.404 or send me an email at joseph@404media.co.

The contract itself is for “a fully configured proprietary solution including license, hardware, warranty, maintenance, and training,” according to a description included in a public U.S. procurement database. The funding office for the purchase is listed as a division of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). It is not clear if the ICE deal is for a custom-made tool or for some version of Paragon’s flagship “Graphite” software.

Graphite is capable of letting police remotely break into messaging apps like WhatsApp, Signal, Facebook Messenger, and Gmail according to a 2021 report from Forbes. While other government spyware tries to take over an entire device allowing all sorts of other capabilities, Paragon sets itself apart by promising to access just the messaging applications, according to Forbes.

Still, that is an exceptionally powerful capability which can skirt the protections offered by end-to-end encrypted apps, and one that is likely very attractive to law enforcement or some intelligence agencies. In March researchers from Citizen Lab, an academic group that investigates the government spyware industry, said they identified suspected Paragon deployments in Australia, Canada, Cyprus, Denmark, Israel, and Singapore. Separately the New York Times reported that the DEA has used Graphite.

Citizen Labs’ researchers said they shared their analysis with Meta, which in turn discovered an active Paragon zero-click exploit for WhatsApp. It involved the attacker adding a target to a WhatApp group and sending them a PDF which automatically infected the device. This meant Paragon’s software could hack into a target phone through its WhatsApp client without any target interaction. Later WhatsApp notified more than 90 people it believed had been targeted with Paragon’s exploit.
playlist.megaphone.fm?p=TBIEA2…
Some of those targets were in Italy, including prominent Italian and other European journalists, and activists who rescue refugees at sea. Those revelations have since ballooned into a full-scale political crisis, with parliamentary inquiries and The Guardian reporting that Paragon cancelled its contract with Italy.

Paragon has positioned itself as a more ethical player in the scandal and abuse-ridden government spyware industry. Tools from other vendors stretching back years, from Hacking Team, to FinFisher, to NSO Group, have all been used at some point to spy on journalists or activists. Like the notorious NSO Group, which also tried to enter the U.S. market, Paragon is based in Israel.

Selling to ICE, an agency that has flaunted due process, accountability, and transparency, may complicate that stance for Paragon. ICE has arrested people who were following the steps necessary for legal immigration; waited outside courtrooms to immediately detain people after their immigration cases were dismissed to rush them out of the country; “de-documented” people who had valid work permits in order to deport them; and continues to pick up people around the country while masking their faces and declining to provide their names.

After ICE reactivated its Paragon contract, Senator Ron Wyden said in a statement to Bloomberg “ICE is already shredding due process and ruining lives in its rush to lock up kids, cooks and firefighters who pose no threat to anyone.”

“I’m extremely concerned about how ICE will use Paragon’s spyware to further trample on the rights of Americans and anyone who Donald Trump labels as an enemy,” he added.

The best way to support 404 Media and fund our ability to sue the Trump administration to release public records is to become a paying subscriber. If you'd like to make a larger, tax deductible donation, please contact us at donate@404media.co.

Membership

404 Media is a new independent media company founded by technology journalists Jason Koebler, Emanuel Maiberg, Samantha Cole, and Joseph Cox.

^{Outpost Staff (404 Media)}

In what may be a first in American legal history, a sitting president just had his lawsuit struck down by a federal judge before the defendants even had a chance to respond.

Case file: storage.courtlistener.com/reca…

Judge Strikes Trump’s Rambling Lawsuit Before NY Times Even Had To Respond

In what may be a first in American legal history, a sitting president just had his lawsuit struck down by a federal judge before the defendants even had a chance to respond. Judge Steven Merryday d…

^Techdirt

The battle over Texas' Senate Bill 10 continues, with families in the state filing a federal lawsuit to block the display of a the Ten Commandments in public school classrooms.

Case file: au.org/wp-content/uploads/2025…

Texas Families Sue to Stop Display of Ten Commandments in Public Schools

"As multiple courts have reaffirmed, the First Amendment safeguards the rights of individuals to choose whether and how they engage with religion, and that protection extends to every classroom," said one lawyer.

^{jessica-corbett (Common Dreams)}