From SLU: Canadians will NOT be able to age verify.

Ah! Well, I hope you are right. But also kinda frightened that you might be.

Hmmm.

You don't get it, this is NOT about Linden Labs and California law. It is about two issues, one impossible, and one (possibly) illegal.

1. THE IMPOSSIBLE: It is impossible to verify any Canadian's age using ANY of the forms of ID requested. Period. Therfore all Canadians are now shut out.

2. THE (POSSIBLY) ILLEGAL: A company refusing to provide a service (e.g. age verification) to Canadians if they refuse to supply ANY of the requested IDs. I already gave the link to the Act a few postings above this.

Either way, Linden Labs is going to have a lots of angry Canadian users.

How can they provide the service if you don't provide what they need? If you don't want to provide what they need, then why are you whining about not getting the service?

They can't provide the service because whatever we provide DOESN'T WORK.

ALL Candians are going to be whining about how they aren't getting the service.

Morden is fixated on the idea that bad design and implementation on LL's part somehow translates into breaking CDN laws.

Apparently an "official" announcement page for LL or Integrity/Aristotal

Oh stop! LOL

Hey I am not a lawyer. I may be wrong on that point.

But again, it ignores the fact that NO CANADIAN CAN AGE VERIFY ANYWAYS. Except for a handful of concierge types during a limited beta test several months ago.

WHOAH, chill, man. LL has already said it's having problems with verification. They will -probably - sort it out, fror Canadians, too. Except for you, of course. You are just to too uptight for SL.

I appreciate the predicament and suggest that everyone who comes up against this problem e-mail LL about it as Robin suggests in her blogpost. .

However, as Love pointed out a bit further up.... you're not shut out....... you just won't be able to visit flagged parcels.

Just my 2c, IMHO and YMMV of course

Yes, I am being uptight about this, because providing this information is opening the door for identity theft. And Canadians are entering these ID numbers without realizing the impact it could have on their security.

I'm already being data-mined enough as it is. I don't want to throw my Social Insurance Number etc. into that mix.

Hey, if others provide the info, they become an easier target than you are. Because why would an identity thief *work* to get your info when the other idiot provided it on a silver platter. You should be THANKING Linden Labs.

Thanks Sally and I have already emailed LL about these issues.

And I believe someone (NOT me) has already filed a complaint with the Privacy Commissioner of Canada.

This is what I was talking about. Why file with the freaking government? This is a BETA trial. It is not live yet. It is not mandatory yet.

Even if it was, doesn't your government have better things to do then listen to complaints of "They won't let me vist the cyber sex areas of their video game."?

Hehe. Official complaint: "Person X was denied his right to yiff a Yorkshire Terrier" in cartoon form.

Lots of angry Canadians? Oxymoron

Whether any of this is legal or not, let the companies in question and the government deal with it - or their lawyers. What in the world does it have to do with us. Don't give them any info YOU do not feel comfortable giving. There's no fairness in big business. There's also no crying in baseball. I'm not sending anyone any of my information, and if it eventually reduces my enjoyment of SL, so be it. It's not like anyone is withholding food or shelter, here.

Hey, don't yell at me. *I* didn't do it! Some guy had posted a response to the Age Verification blogpost, see here:

Wasn't yelling at you and I understood it wasn't you that filed. BETA, was not yelling, but the name of the stage of work this is in. I am used to capitalizing every letter of it.

LOL! OK I am now officially jumping off this particular hobbyhorse.

What they need Chris is name, date of birth and postal/zip code. That is all Integrity need. Canadians can provide that.

The problem is that LL recognise the flaws in that and are taking up Integrity on the issue of their "Suggested" info fields, which quite clearly are fields Integrity have absolutely no access to and can't verify.

In short, Integrity are asking for info that is not fit for purpose.

Those numbers are worthless, especially if you are trying to keep minors off the grid. Without an number, the age verification will be worthless.

It seems pretty simple to me, you give them what they want or you don't access their service. What is hard to understand about that. It should be up to you to decide if you value the services provided by LL more than the risk of providing what they ask for. The government should have no business getting involved.

So, it's "Official" based on something said by people NOT connected with Linden Labs.
This must be a new and novel use of the word "Official" of which i had not been previously aware.
I would consider it Official If i saw it on the Linden Blog. Anyplace else, and it's STILL unsubstantiated rumor.



In any case, the way they have chosen to do age verification adds a few extra hoops to jump through but STILL does not Provide aaaaaaany Guarantees at all that a minor could Not bypass the system. It seems more a PR exercise than anything else. I doubt many people will verify, or make use of it in SL to screen people on their properties.


Chris, the privacy Commission in Canada exists Precisely for this Purpose, anyone asking for, or demanding Protected Information in exchange for a service Is fair Game for the Commission. You see chere, we have a Constitutionally Guaranteed Right to privacy in Canada as well, the Only difference is, Our Government has actually set up mechanisms to Oversee and Protect those rights From Private sector, Governmental Or Criminal abuses. Someone in another thread pointed out that one of the things we were being asked for was our Social Insurance Numbers. This is a Confidential Tax number that is used ONLY by the holder, and their Employer to see to it taxes, and other benifits are applied to the right person. All personal information with regard to the Holder of the SIN Number flows One way. IN to the relevant Governmental agencies. it's impossible to use it for purposes of verifying any Information about the Holder. Even the employer Ccan't access such information. However, the SIN number IS a prime target for Identity Thieves, So, the Privacy Commission (As well as Revenue Canada, and the RCMP) Do have a Great deal of interest in anyone trying to harvest peoples SIN numbers.
If a complaint is made, there WILL be an Investigation.

Angel.

Added on Edit: Good recovery on the rewrite Soleil.

A.

All Integrity need are name, postal code and date of birth, they should then be able to verify whether that person is over 18. Those are their required fields for most countries in the world, in some they also require a telephone number.

Even with the additional information, the numbers are pretty worthless in terms of keeping minors off the grid, that may be how it's being sold but the reality is that that aim won't be achieved by this.



Integrity claim they can verify against government issued data, therefore the government are already involved. Integrity don't appear to be able to do what they claim on the website and you have to wonder whether their suggested information is designed for electronic verification or whether that's a backup system intended for physical checks.

People have been providing the information Integrity ask for and still failing to get verified.

I've read most of the comments, but just can't read any more. I have a question.

People rail against handing out their information, and I can understand keeping things like Passport numbers to yourself. SIN or SSNs are a crap shoot and can be guessed and falsified by the real savvy I suspect.

Here's the question though. What are the real repercussions to the following scenario:

I give my SIN or Drivers' License number and address to LL/Integrity. Someone there sells it on the black market or whatever they do to some unscrupulous person who... what... creates some fake ID? OK, so now someone in Canada is wandering around with a SIN or DL with my number and some fake name. They... what... do something illegal... get nabbed... investigated etc. My info comes up when for whatever reason the authorities are using the SIN and DL found in the offender's wallet or left on some sign up form for videos or a job etc.? So say the authorities track this back to ME -- little unassuming redhead with quite a career, friends and family that can all vouch for my activities of late. So... what's the worst that can happen?

I think I'm really dumb because while I don't want to perpetuate identity theft, it can happen or not with or without someone's genuine ID information. IF it's all worst case scenario... what is the worst case that can happen to me? Or is it that everyone is so upright about not perpetuating identity theft? I hear more cries of "I won't do this" than reasons why, and I just want to know why. Really why. And what's the worst that can happen.

Is the worst that can happen that the RCMP show up at my home looking for a convenience store murderer or thief, but able to take one look at me and my living environment and deduce... "Hmmnn, this little thing couldn't lift a gun let alone fire it..." or "Does this person really need to steal a TV?" etc.?

Sorry for the long winded question. I just need to know what I'm missing. Seriously. I can't see what has everyone so upset and I really want to know others' thoughts so I can make an informed decision as to verify or not! Help please. Thanks, all.

Lucrezia,

Not a dumb question at all. I, like you, love to understand the 'why's behind statements I don't understand. Even when it doesn't apply to me. Guess we're just very curious people, (not a bad thing.)

Firstly, when someone uses your SIN for any kind of fraud, because it is your own personal number that you *and only you* should be using for tax purposes and bank accounts, you are automatically flagged. Your credit rating is ruined!!! Employers often rely on this rating to see if you can be trusted (if you want to work anywhere where money is involved - and even where no money can be accessed by you.) Banks will not give you a loan (house/car/student,etc.) While of course, you will eventually be able to 'fix' it, it may take a very, very long time to erase all the negative information on you out there. Meanwhile, you didn't get the dream job-house-student loan, etc. For those to whom this has happened, it is devastating. It can sometimes take years to discover someone has used your card if you do not do a yearly check-up on your credit rating, (people usually only check when it is needed for a loan)

Sorry - very simplistic, short answer...