alt Hacker NewsWhat might those be? Everything I've seen is ineffective or can be compromised. I think letting parents parent is probably the best option, but will require better/easier/free tools and education to help lock down different categories of harm.
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There's nothing that can't be worked around or compromised in some way. Even the face scans and ID scans being used today are being circumvented.
In the end we do need parents to parent, but websites should help. The easiest way would be for websites to send an HTTP header to the client so that censorware can know to block or allow it accordingly.
Website generates a random nounce, the government offers to sign the json { over_18: true, nounce: [inserted_here] }. That signing is coupled to you being signed in, or scanning your passport via nfc or whatever
That significantly reduces the leaked information: the service doesn't receive any information who you are, and the government doesn't know what service you use. They can collude, but that does not reveal more to them than most current age-verification methods. Children can get another adult to sign their request, but that's a working attack on nearly any age verification (including in-person purchases)
Of course this doesn't replace parenting
1) When buying a device, store employee could program user's age range.
2) When configuring a device, parent may toggle "child mode" checkbox to switch the device into "child mode", protected with a password or fingerprint.
3) The tokens, containing a private key (same for all tokens) can be sold in liquor stores to adults only. This token could confirm the age without a passport.
It is interesting that is US (unless I am wrong) you can vote and change the government without a selfie and a passport, but you need them to use Reddit or Discord.
> but will require better/easier/free tools and education to help lock down different categories of harm.
There should be a single big "child mode" checkbox for normal people and "configure" button for 1% of geeks. Most people do not need tools and have no interest in configuring allowed categories.
> Everything I've seen is ineffective or can be compromised
Selfie/passport also can be compromised by asking a friend/older brother/parents to verify your account. Especially if you have a poor adult friend with alcoholic dependency in dire need of a new portion.