Age Checks Fail: Online Safety Laws Accused of Being Digital Snoop Traps for Author Profiling
The discussion centers on online safety legislation, specifically the 'Internet Matters Online Safety Act,' and the difficulty of age verification. Users pointed out that the digital locks designed to stop minors from accessing inappropriate content are easily bypassed using simple methods, such as drawing moustaches or faking IDs.
The community's debate is sharply divided. Supporters view these laws as essential child protection measures. Opponents, however, treat the legislation as a Trojan horse for mass surveillance. Key detractors argue the true motive is not safety, but establishing the ability to link every online post definitively to the author (BarneyPiccolo). Others warn that modern identity verification collects
Key Points
#1Age verification systems are fundamentally weak and bypassable.
Users argue that methods like drawing moustaches or simple faked IDs allow children to bypass these regulatory hurdles (yggstyle, TommySoda).
#2The real goal of age checks is profiling, not safety.
Several users, including BarneyPiccolo, argue the true motive is linking online posts to an author's identity, stating it is for 'spying on adults' (pwxd).
#3Data collection scope is far broader than just age.
U7826391786239 analyzed that modern verification collects 'pretty much everything, wrapped up in a bow by AI,' suggesting profound scope creep.
#4The legislation represents a systemic overreach and power grab.
Users view the laws as government overreach and a means of selling users' data, prompting resistance like, 'If they are going to sell me out to Palantir, I am going to fuck their shit up' (SleeplessCityLights).
#5Education is the actual solution, not invasive tech.
Vorticity suggested that focusing on parental education regarding monitoring is preferable to passing invasive surveillance controls.
Source Discussions (3)
This report was synthesized from the following Lemmy discussions, ranked by community score.