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Could online age verification be done in a way that protects privacy and autonomy? (lemmy.world)

submitted 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) by 58008@lemmy.world to c/ask_experienced_devs@programming.dev

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Apologies if this isn't the right place to ask this, but I thought actual developers with a deep understanding of how technology actually works would be the people to ask!

If you were tasked with setting up a safe and secure way to do this, how would you do it differently than what the UK government is proposing? How could it be done such that I wouldn't have to worry about my privacy and the threat of government suppression? Is it even theoretically possible to accomplish such a task at such a scale?

Cheers!

EDIT: Just to be clear: I'm not in favour of age verification laws. But they're on their way regardless. My question is purely about the implementation and technology of the thing, rather than the ethics or efficacy of it. Can this seemingly-inevitable privacy hellscape be done in a non-hellscapish way?

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[–] MentalEdge@sopuli.xyz 2 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

It is teaching your kids that you do not trust them, and it is indulging your own paranoia.

Only if you never lift the restrictions, and coddle instead of raise them.

A parent buying their kid their first beer is a show of trust, and confidence in having prepared them. That they weren't allowed before isn't some paranoia about turning them into an alcoholist. It's about preparation and maturity.

It is a display that shows that the parent feels their child is ready and responsible enough for the ability to decide themselves to be granted to them.

A parent enforcing a rule before that is not some violation.

Only, for the internet, the tools and know-how to do so are rare or non-existent.

My parents did this with tons of things as me and my siblings grew up. Each time trusting us with a new piece of responsibility, when they felt we were ready.

What kind of parent doesn't decide their childrens bedtime until they can sanely maintain their sleep schedule themselves?

It was a big day when I was granted the ability to go to visit friends without asking permission first.

Parental control and guidance is essential for the stage-by-stage raising of a child into adulthood. Both online and offline, only tools and practices around the former practically don't exist.

Each parent is also on a deadline. When someone turns 18, all rules come off whether you're ready or not.

As a parent, you should aim for your kid to be making as many decisions themselves as possible by then.