Abstract
As parents, lawmakers and activists push for stronger rules to keep children off websites meant for adults, the question of how to verify age online has taken on new urgency. More sites are asking users to certify they are over 18, and companies are rolling out innovations aimed at better age checks.
The trouble is that most methods of verifying age create new problems of their own. Requiring material such as a user's credit card or driver's license to buy alcohol or view pornography, for instance, creates privacy issues and new opportunities for data leaks. They also make it hard for users to browse anonymously. What's more, enterprising children will be able to find ways to defeat all but the most intrusive verification processes.
The trouble is that most methods of verifying age create new problems of their own. Requiring material such as a user's credit card or driver's license to buy alcohol or view pornography, for instance, creates privacy issues and new opportunities for data leaks. They also make it hard for users to browse anonymously. What's more, enterprising children will be able to find ways to defeat all but the most intrusive verification processes.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Number of pages | 2 |
| Specialist publication | The Wall Street Journal |
| Publication status | Published - 27 Feb 2022 |
Keywords
- age verification
- websites
- artificial intelligence (AI)