Google will expand age checks on Android worldwide till the end of the year

FloatArtifact

I don't understand why apps need to know anything about a specific age. If we have to go down this road, which I really don't, why can't we just simply have verification whether or not an age fits within a range better yet a category. Yes, age can still be inferred, for example, under 21 or over 21.

looksjjhg

I don’t understand how are they even checking the age ??

amazingamazing

Age checks are inevitable sadly. No one would tolerate “adult” services and goods rendered directly to children without age check. The main argument is that there is an assumption this data is not stored in the real world, which is only sometimes true. Some places like airports and some concerts, shows, bars, etc. scan identification with digital readers whose data is presumably retained. One reason for this is because fake identification is a thing so defense against this converges to the same solution as digital verification. Imo best to spend energy thinking of the appropriate solution that minimizes privacy violation than conceptual fighting against the idea.

xinayder

Can't we build a gateway in the internet that detects if someone is a influential CEO or something and just bar access to the internet?

cynicalsecurity

This smells like Soviet Union. The next step will be a requirement to confirm your identity - trying to justify it with a wicked manipulation tactic "we need to know your are not lying when selecting your age". No one asked for it to begin with. Android is normalising totalitarianism and mass spying on citizens, one step at a time. This is a very bad feature and a very bad development.

shevy-java

They want your data. YOU have become their product. By the way, this also explains one reason why Google shut down third party access/applications recently on Android. Android (if one uses the Google software) becomes the ultimate spy tool on people. At the same time you see several countries force age sniffing on people - this is the beginning of the end of the free web. It will happen in various steps; the next one is Microsoft adding this to their software.

iamflimflam1

I find myself stuck on the fence with age checks. Companies have show that they are incapable or unwilling to address the problems they cause. And market forces are not working to correct things. It’s also pretty obvious that saying “parent should take responsibility” is also not working. Just observe the world around you to know it’s a non starter. This is where regulation is supposed to come in. At the same time, companies have shown that they will abuse any personal information that is shared with them and we are now giving them more details about ourselves…

BoxwoodSeed

I'd be totally fine to solve this problem by banning children from the internet altogether. Not that I'd enforce this or anything. Just so no one other than the parents can be liable when things go wrong. There's more and more evidence that internet access isn't healthy to have for children anyway.

sunaookami

This coordinated worldwide effort at the same time is very creepy.

wewewedxfgdf

What's the difference between an age check and a total identification check?

owbt

The usual "but think of the children" tactic.

Havoc

Global surveillance incoming. Heard Google is also rolling out QR codes to get past captchas? Ie linked to a device that would now be identity linked too. All seems pretty dystopian or to quote googles slogan - being evil

hexo

"Providing a safe online experience and protecting users from harm is a top priority at Google Play." LOL NO. amount of malware says otherwise.

mythz

Surveillance comes for us all.

random_ind_dude

I think it's the old that need to be protected more on the Internet since they disproportionately fall prey to online scams. So let's age-gate their access to online services too. If you are old and want to send money to someone, you get age-gating and second-factor authorization from a competent young person. If you want to watch porn online, believe it or not, age-gating and second-factor authorization.

avazhi

I couldn’t care less about children or about what is ultimately a parenting issue (keep your fucking kids off the internet). A problem that affects a subset of the population is not something that should be solved by subjecting the entire population to inconvenience. Just make it illegal to use the internet for under 18s or under 16s or whatever and let it be assumed that all users are of the appropriate age. If I a child is on the internet without adult supervision, that’s a parenting problem, not an issue for the state or other people to solve.

prartichoke

What a pain reading this blog post. It's about them complying with recent regulations, but they never mention it once: they word it so it sounds like they are doing this out of the good of their hearts. The words "law," "regulation," or "compliance" do not appear once, despite being the entire reason the post exists. Also on the "privacy-preserving tool", technically apps get a bracket ("16–17") instead of a birthdate. But who holds the actual data? Google. The privacy improvement is against the developer only.

hnxp86ytwk

This is what I keep telling people

Palmik

Will these be compatible with the Digital Credentials API in Chrome ( https://developer.chrome.com/blog/digital-credentials-api-or... ) or will websites be essentially locked out of friction-less age verification?