Supposedly Sixteen

WhatsApp’s age requirement just jumped from 13 to 16 because of GDPR. Starting in May, you’ll see a prompt asking if you’re old enough. Answer no, and you’re supposedly out.

Except there’s no verification. It’s exactly like those I’m 18 gates on adult sites—you click yes, you’re in, nobody’s actually checking. The EU didn’t require real age verification, so this is just the appearance of something happening.

There’s something honest about it, in a way. A regulation that everyone involved already knows won’t work, being implemented anyway. The wall exists so regulators can point to it. Kids under 16 will keep using WhatsApp; they’ll just click an extra button first.