Age verification enters Grid-wide beta

Agreed but where Linden Lab fail miserably is in trying to put spin on this. They've said that it enhances trust between residents, completely untrue with a system that is so easily defrauded. They've said that it helps to prevent minors accessing adult content, completely untrue with a system that is as easily defrauded as this.

If LL had pointed out that they were introducing this for legal protections, then they'd probably not have the baying mob at the castle gates, it's the absolute balderdash they're trying to sell it with that's the problem. That and using a company who are asking for information that is not fit for purpose.

An interesting read and informative about the flagging of parcels:

http://www.gridgrind.com/?p=228

I don't believe what the Lindens in that meeting were saying. Mandatory verifcation was threatened in one of the blogs if reisdents didn't comply.

Really? so if residents don't verify or cant due to the borked site..then they will make it mandatory? how will making it mandatory solve anything? The Lindens seem so intent on keeping the numbers high for the world to see, surely if it was mandatory that would affect their precious log in numbers?

as it`s beta, wait till it`s in normal use or else why bother adding it in if it`s useless in the first place? (not including remote cam)

This is the bit that was referred to:

I agree, that is in COMPLETE opposition to almost everything they have said so far.

I guess we just wait and see.. getting a consistsnat and straight answer from the Ls is comepletly and utterly impossible. Mainly because I don't think they even HAVE one.

No no, the threat was that if residents didn't self regulate then verification would be mandatory. I'm not sure that the agelock product qualifies for self regulation.

So they DO require adult content to be flagged...

I wish they would make up their minds! I have no problem with verification, I am having to scan my docs, but that does not bother me as much as the scary passport pic may bother them!

What I have a problem with is all of this is as clear as mud!

Ah Gotcha... I think the agelock should work IMO... having a user click to say they are over 18 must in some absolve the parcel owner of liability which in turn keeps the lindens out of court?

Ya, that's my impression too What a fine mess teh monkeys have made huh

Funny reading all the responses on the blog and here in the forums. So much about LL can't do this, it’s illegal, it’s not working, its unsafe. 100's of posts crying about it as if the same thing has never been said. Will any system 100% keep out kids, NO. Will any system 100% protect your personal data, NO. Her Majesty's Revenue & Customs just proved that point so clearly even given the laws there supposed to follow. In that one situation half the UK population’s data was exposed.

So what’s all the fuss about? Simple, to CYA to some extent when some kid sneaks on and something happens. When that something happens, the lawyer/prosecutor from some country possibly not even from your own country comes knocking and looking to hold you accountable for their little angel’s actions. That more likely will happen than other gloom and doom stories thrown about here in the forums. And then as LL sits back and shows that they offered verification and requested content marking, they get a pass and you might be looking at a huge bill and possibly a free bed for a few years.

Well it's interesting really. If a child lies about their age and gets into the main grid. Then lies about their age to bypass agelock are the people running that system liable to lawsuits for not preventing the child access?

As opposed to a child lying about their age to get into the main grid and then using their parents or a friend's parents credentials to verify?

I would guess that the bottom line is that in terms of verification, Integrity take the heat.

In terms of keeping kids out, payment info used is a far better system than the Integrity system, it's head and shoulders better and places responsibility with the adult responsible for the credit card.

If the child gets in... if the child gets in.. if the child signs up and accesses the grid, if that child signs up using the SL website and gets in...

See where I am going? Surely the first step should be that child NOT be able to sign up?

But I guess I am just flogging a dead horse with that idea

I'm betting LL will drag its feet bringing age verification out of beta.

I'm sure that when LL has their full age verification solution in place, then some TV newsshow on a network without corporate ties to SL (perhaps Dateline/NBC?) will have a kid verify and use their avatar to engage in child porn/sex in SL. I would be willing to bet ANYTHING that a producer will be working on this story sometime in 2008.

Best for LL to be "working on it" for as long as possible, and forestall announcing that a complete solution has been deployed. Because, as many have pointed out, Integrity/Aristotle's claim to actually verify age are shaky.

No I agree entirely, we're in a situation of trying to shut the stable door after the horse has bolted and with a system that a child can manipulate to get verified all too easily. The door should be shut further down the chain, I completely agree with you.

Kid wants in. Kid has access to parent's ID ... cards ... anything. Kid gets in. LL have taken EVERY reasonable precaution to prevent access. Kid commits fraud.

Night night kiddies Early night!

Maybe, I'm not sure if they'd get far with such a rubbish system as the one they're pushing, but that's probably Integrity's problem and I believe that's what this is all about.

At least with payment info used, the adult has a record on their bill. With this, the adult has no idea their details are being used.

I got a note from the owner of my rental that the units were being flagged mature and that we should be verified immediately.

Of course, I had to log onto Capella to receive that note- who was unverified and sitting in her living room- on flagged mature land.

I had no problems verifying- although I'm not verifying my alts yet.

I actually kinda like the idea of living on land that's flagged mature- it might keep random visitors and griefers down a bit.

Flagging the land makes no difference, it's the ban tab where the restrict access to verifieds lies.

While I don't doubt that this might happen, it would be old news. It's easy enough for a child to obtain pornography anywhere on the internet, and children's use of chat rooms to hook up with predators is well-documented. As flawed as Linden Labs's system may currently be, and as much as I enjoy criticizing Linden Labs, they are actually doing more to prevent child access to porn than most other sectors of the internet (whether it's because they care about that issue or it's just to cover their butts). Of course, Linden Labs still needs to resolve the problems, particularly in the area of allowing people who really are adults actually get age verification.

Well they're doing more than sites that say "Click here if you're over 18"

Credit card verfication with a small fee is miles better than this. If someone verifies using your details, you won't know because you don't get any information sent to you. The system is way too easily defrauded.

Well, coming from Denmark, i can not legally give out the last 4 digits of my SSN, which are the only info that they will accept.
And even if i could, i would not dream of handing out personal info like that to a company KNOWN to sell information to anyone.

QFT, definately something to consider