Age verification

I took the time to type this into the Linden blog thingy and was then told it was closed to comments. Dammit.

"No personally identifying information will be stored by them or by Linden Lab, including date of birth, unless the Resident chooses to do so. Those who wish to be verified, but remain anonymous, are free to do so."

Given a choice, why would anyone choose to allow personally identifying information to be saved?

"US Residents will be asked to provide the last four digits of their Social Security Number"

Since the last four digits of a SS number are insufficient for identification, am I really to believe I will not be asked for the whole thing?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Child_Online_Protection_Act

"On March 22, 2007, U.S. District Judge Lowell A. Reed, Jr. once again struck down the Child Online Protection Act,[7] finding the law facially violates the First and Fifth Amendments of the United States Constitution. Reed issued an order permanently enjoining the government from enforcing COPA, commenting that "perhaps we do the minors of this country harm if First Amendment protections, which they will with age inherit fully, are chipped away in the name of their protection."

The Linden's don't care about protecting kids, it's just another money grab.

I disagree; I think LL is serious about protecting not only kids but residents like me who really aren't into porn or violence. People who are into that stuff will still be able to enjoy and I will go about my PG life too.

I'm confuse tho about how age verification will work and what/how the info will work. Perhaps privacy is more the issue here.

"Premium Second Life Residents will have access to the identity verification system for a nominal Linden Dollar fee as part of their subscription. Free-account owners (Basic membership) can pay a larger Linden Dollar fee for the service, can upgrade to Premium to access the system, or simply decline to verify their age and continue enjoying Second Life without access to adult content."

Considering a massive chunk of SL is built around adult themes, because after all you have to be 18 or older to even log on, I don't see a reason why charging you to upgrade your account (Sound familiar?) will protect anyone.

Society is backwards. Adult content shouldn't be hidden from children, Children's content should be hidden from adults. - If a kid is smart enough to steal his parent's credit card, pick up a stripper in SL, and thus spoil his little, innocent mind then he's old enough for the content to begin with.

/me doesn't quite get how this will work. I fax them a copy of my drivers license? What's to keep me from doing a little work in photoshop and putting in whatever I want?

From what I've seen they're just going to make people imput their last four digits of their social security number or something bizzare like that to unlock the ability to go to Mature labeled land, Somehow charging you a "Large" fee in lindens to even get the option to "Verify" your account will protect the poor, innocent kids from seeing body parts we all have.

So basically you're going to be paying another fee with your credit card to unlock 80% of the game.

I think age verification is a fine idea, if simply to keep the adult grid an enjoyable place for adults. Popular places in SL often feel like they've been taken over by kids.

My concern is with the safety of the data collected. I don't give out my SS# to just anyone. I have to really need their service.

It's a fine idea if they didn't CHARGE you for it.





Pathetic.

I don't see anything about a "large" fee...

The most specific part I see about fees is this:

So, it is basically saying that the fee is more than $10L, which is pretty small. Basically, "it will not be free if you want to be verified" is the only factual information that can be gained from that quote.

I think it's a little silly for them to charge for it at all, and I certainly hope that it doesn't end up being a large fee when they actually implement it, but it confuses me that I've seen about 20 posts saying that it will be some large amount and I'm not sure where that is coming from.

Here's to hoping it all works as intended, rather than ending up like all the other well intentioned 'features'.


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I don't think theirs an easier way to make 3 million people pay 10$.

It's a brilliant moneygrab, But greed none the less.

10L is fine, I was thinking 10$ USD and paled.

The sandboxes, as of a few days ago, often (almost always) have real penis photograph textured flexiprims flying around chasing people.

I trust the Linden estate owners will flag these sims as adult because of their adult content.

If they don't I'll start filing abuse reports against them.

I would too!

Hehe, I'll join you, just to push the point.

I actually am for age verification, though I'm a little nervous about whether it'll be implemented well.

But, what's to stop people from putting these colorful items in PG areas? The same thing we have now, which is an AR that takes forever and often appears to do absolutely nothing? Won't that put people who own PG property at risk?




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I'm going to start selling an item called "Not a penis" which is not a penis and see if it gets flagged.
If not, I will start selling an item called "Also not a penis" which is a penis and see if it gets flagged.
And then I will amuse myself.

with the "not a penis" or the "also not a penis"?

Sorry, I just couldn't resist Was too funny to pass up



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I don't like this verification thing. If you use a credit card to pay for your account, that should be enough. I've been warned for years not to hand out any personal information, even in part. Call me paranoid, but that's how I am. And my fiancé and her friend feel the same way. They're not going to throw around their info just to play a GAME.

This will end up being a big mistake, in my opinion.

I've got a friend who goes AFK for a month+ at a time. She owns a very adult area..

What happens if she doesn't come back until June, entirely possible to the point of being probable, and decides she doesn't want to get verified and wants to sell the land? Will she be able to get back to her land?

I am not going to take the time to do more than vent here, and I apologize in advance...who the hell does Linden Lab think they are??? They require my participation in identity compromise to establish adulthood, with a company THEY select?

Am I crazy here? What part of having my credit card number, already, do they not see as being adult verification??? In a world where my kids bought drivers licenses for 10 bucks, when they were underage, just for the right of accessing local pubs...are they absolutely freeking living in a time capsule???

So I give up my irretrievable/irreplaceable identity to a bunch of dunderheads who can't even get a damn database to work right, then trust them to keep it secure? Clearly the new crop of weed from the Mexican peninsula is very good this year, AND has made its way to San Francisco ahead of schedule...party on, San Francisco!!!

After yesterdays PR farce, clearly completely pre-scripted, vetted and sanitized before ever released to the blog, well this just about signs the death warrant for Second Life...I ask you, Phil, how the hell are you going to get your Fortune 500 interested in marketing to a bunch of 13 year olds, which is what you'll be left with after this blunder???

well, if one is to be held responsible for the behavior of people other than one's self on one's parcels, i suppose there may be an increase in land restrictions, no building, no objects entering a parcel, stuff like that.

Now Why did n`t LLABS try to use this when they opening the gates to hell on 6/6/2006? Instead of NOW weeding out all the kids....

I trust LL with personal information about as much as I do their oversight of my inventory.

So it seems they are finally admitting they are a pornmonger (not that there's anything wrong with that) yet I could obtain far more "obscene" materials than SL boobies with far less information than they are requesting. Is SL somehow different or just goofy?

I'm guessing they will be selling information about their customers and this gives them even more.

Oh wait, I mean: Think of the Children!

What does the blog post mean by "Those who wish to be verified, but remain anonymous, are free to do so."?

Does mean, use the verification system or not, or are there two modes to use the verification system?

Who gets to see what information if you aren't anonymous compared to who sees what if you are anonymous?

if they want to age verify me then they can just call me on the phone - I'm not sending them any government issued documents.

I think that means anonymous to LL - the age verification company just sends them a yes/no unless you want them to send more. I think.