> Kids will simply find a way to circumvent it without any extra steps.

This is just an argument against any regulation whatsoever. Yes, some people will find ways to do illegal stuff, but that doesn't mean forbidding stuff is useless. For instance gangs members always find a way to get access to weapons even in countries where firearms is regulated, but there are still pretty much zero mass slaughter in schools in these countries.

> To make age verification useful for protecting kids, you'd need to lock down every software on every operating system and put it under tight government control.

No! This should never be implemented at the software or OS level in the first place. You should be handed a chip card that you can use for that purpose, like how the bank rent you a credit card. Any other implementation is a bad one, and should be fought.

But by fighting the very idea of age verification instead, an idea that pretty much nobody else in the society has issues with when it comes to voting rights, driving rights, or alcohol consumption, you are just favoring these poor implementations by moving the debate on a ground you can't win.

> Otherwise, some smart kid is guaranteed to get around the restriction and give that method to others,

You should really read that “The optimal amount of fraud is non zero” blog post I linked above.

The same people want to require licensing before you can publish software, if you look deep enough in these threads.