What are the potential issues with using session_register() in PHP, especially in newer versions of the language?

The potential issue with using session_register() in PHP is that it has been deprecated since PHP 5.3.0 and removed in PHP 5.4.0. This function is no longer recommended for use due to security concerns and it is advised to use the $_SESSION superglobal array directly to register session variables instead.

<?php
session_start();

$_SESSION['variable_name'] = $value;
?>