Now I might need a passport to play SL?

Haha just noticed this in the blog: Age and Identity Verification in Second Life

Age Verification Q&A

3/ ... 'US Residents will be asked to provide the last four digits of their Social Security Number, while non-US Residents may need to provide a passport or national ID number.'

6/ ' What documents do I need to prove my age?
Exact documents may vary depending on your country of residence but may include:
Passport
Driver’s license
Name
Address
National ID number, such as a Social Security number'

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Prolly good news in the end but I hope this doesn't end up keeping me out as well.

I'm verified with payment info on file with my CC. - not good enouph?
Don't have a pasport and wouldn't go get one to add to the expense of SL.
I don't hand out my SIN # (Social Security number) to anyone cept my employer or the Gov't .
Hope my Canadian driver's licence will do or my American partner will have to liquidate my assets for me.

Being a Canadian I wonder how the Verification company is going to get any info.
The new privacy legislation forbids government agencies or affiliates from releasing any personal information without explicit consent.

So how do you suppose they are going to get someones age? hmmm

There are several age/identity businesses that do this type of stuff for any businesses wanting the service on the internet. Verisign comes to mind for me........they've been around a long time and as far as I've ever heard they are highly rated for security and accuracy. They are also world wide, so I would think they understand and know how to do what is needed in most any country. I'm sure there are others out there equally as qualified. And for those panicing about their Social Security number.........they are going to only ask for the last four digits. That is not your Social Security number. Those numbers will be verified against your address and name. Pretty effective I would think since my bank uses the same method to verify me.

I'm actually relieved that Linden Labs is outsourcing this...........like some of you, LL's track record of late has not helped much toward adding confidence in them. As I read the blog, it's a one time thing and your account(s) will be flagged as verified on the accounts database. That's all.......nothing more. When you take your avi to a parcel that is flagged "adult" it will be verified against the accounts database before allowing access. Pretty simple to me. Shouldn't be much of an impact on the grid servers at all. However if there is a lot of lag there could be delays or even failures. But what else is new?

I'm waiting for the roll out and will verify as soon as I can and get it out of the way. This is something I've been wanting for quite a while..........cudos to LL for finally doing it.

The nature of the announcement leaves me very worried about the external service they're using. Why no name? They must know by this stage who they're going to use.

It could be Verisign, true, but it could also be Adult Check.

It's also a bit awkward that you only need age verification to access "Adult" parcels. For two reasons - a), adult behaviour is not constrained by parcels, since avatars can go anywhere; and b) it means that doing age verification is a clear sign of intent to access pornography.

My guess is that this is the start of an action against adult content on SL..

The company providing SL's adult verification is integrity:

http://integrity.aristotle.com/

How does it work?
Where is this company based?
What does the home office in my country have to say about identity theft?

And Linden Lab thinks I'm going to put sensitive documents like this into the hands of a company outside my own country's data protection jurisdiction? Into the hands of a company I've never heard of before?

Homeland security are already searching the Google history of random visitors to your country as part of their interrogation. Presumably they'll be asking me about my pornography habits on my next visit to New York if I sign up with a company like this. =P

Thank you Linden Lab but no thanks. This whole thing stinks of Zee to me. What's to bet the Lab will be getting a cut from each Integrity signup?

The new identity verification scheme has no effect on me as there is no way on earth that I will be be providing some internet company my personal documents. No one in their right mind would do so in my opinion. LL can put a Star of David on my arm to show that I haven't complied with their outrageous request and to ID me for quick and easy disposal.

It seems like instead that adult areas will be more segrgated and many users will have no access to them.

It may be they will try to reduce visibility from next door non-adult content areas.

Preparing us for the eventual allowing underage players on the grid .. maybe (yay )

Im not sure I really understand the system though - they want your drivers license - HOW? a fax? Or just the number and state?

and they need this PLUS a social security number?

Or will social security number be enough? Since my SS# is on my drivers license ...

Also will this Verification protect us from people who could maliciously report you as underage? - since the current system is Guilty until proven innocent.

Here we go. Gonna nickel and dime us to death. The guy who pays $5 USD a month gets this 'service' free while island owners that pay hundreds and thousands of dollars a month have to pay. This should be included with our concierge services.

I see Linden Lab attempting to set a precedent for charging for voice.

Wtf, they want my SS number? I don't feel safe giving that out but I really like SL... ah well

Australia does not have a national ID card so what are the options?

We have the medicare card, centrelink, passport, drivers license and most states where you get your drivers license will provide you with an ID card if you don't drive.

But are the options acceptable and its very worrying that this 3rd unnamed party can access out information freely.

Also what if Australia doesn't allow this 3rd Party to access databases here? Thats my main concern.

On the flip side, our ID's have been accessed by 3rd parties for many years now since the inception of computers and databases. Its not a new thing. With holding your details from verification is just you stopping one company from verification. I know here Centrelink and the Tax Office swap information with out your permission. They just tell you they are doing it!

When you apply for a loan, the company will do verification checks, so it isn't a new thing and yes it will cost LL more money so the costs have to be passed on somehow.

For those international friends of ours Centrelink use to be Social Security.

Big Brother is watching you!!

What I read on the blog is in the United States we will be required to give the last four digits of our social security number, our age, our address, and our names. If outside the US social security numbers cannot be used so maybe a drivers license or some other national ID. I reread the entire blog.........never does it say BOTH drivers license AND SS number.

And to Walker Moore.........how do you know Integrity is the company LL is going to use? You got a leaker inside LL or something? Besides, even if it is Integrity, you can do a google on them and then decide if you want to submit your information to them. Until I hear something from LL on who it is anything someone says about who is going to be the ID verifier is nothing but speculation............or, put in another word, RUMOR.

Although I do understand the need for this - I see a couple of things

If Im premium AND Identity verified AND Age verified: what account protections am I going to have from being banned? I mean if Im doing all this I should have some protections as a customer.

Wouldnt it have been More appreciative to grandfather those in who already verifed under the old system?

Isn't the age verification only necessary if you want to access porn? Or work in porn in SL?
So anyone not into porn or kinky stuff doesn't have to give any info.

People into porn but concerned about privacy issues may be able to indulge in the privacy of their own homes or friends homes from what I can see; the adult label seems to be for commercial or public areas.

Am I reading this right?

So you have to verify identity for all your alts if they are to enter "adult" flagged parcels?

If a place with camp chairs is in an adult flagged parcels, the campbot operated avatars will need to have been verified through this system?



The post refers to staying anonymous or not staying anonymous. Anonymous to who, anonymous in what way?

Get yourself over to Grasmere, ask one of the two Lindens there, you'll get it confirmed.

Dnail, you are correct. If access to adult content isn't of interest to you, then you have no reason to age verify and it's a non-issue.

If access to adult content is crucial to you, then a) we know you're a dirty, dirty boy, and b) and you need to decide which you value more: your winkie or your privacy. Dealer's choice!

An Australian passport would work, btw, Meaghan. I'm expecting they'll take my Irish ID card, which I will offer in preference to my US SS#.

The way I read it is that if you want to enter any parcel containing adult content you will have to be age verified. That means "Mature"..............and if you live in a muture sim or parcel you won't be able to enter if you are not verified. But since porn would be adult content I guess means you would have to be verified too.

The blog post was not really that hard to read.........much easier for me than some of the posts telling what problems the grid is having.

Well, not a boy...lol.

No Suezanne you don't have to verify anything unless you are stupid enough to go along with this lamebrain scheme and I know you aren't.

I don't understand why people are talking about the cost and the details when the real issue is the total invasion of privavcy and personal rights just to play a stupid game.

Yes yes yes I know I have the right to quit SL if I don't like their new society where everyone's life is on their files.

I don't think it is just Mature parcels since the land owner has to set an adult content flag on the land.

Quote from Blog:
"Do I have to submit to age verification?
You need only provide age verification if you choose to enter areas in Second Life that have been flagged as having adult content. Going forward, estate and parcel owners will be required to flag the presence of adult content on their land. Access to that area will then be restricted to age-verified Residents only. Flagging adult areas provides notice to adults that content contained in the area may be objectionable to them. Age-verification provides an added layer of protection against minors who have gained unauthorized access to the world.In addition, anyone wishing to gain access on the Teen Second Life will be required to submit to age verification. "

So it looks like age verification is only related to "adult" content. If you live in a Mature sim without adult content, no worries. So I guess its parcel by parcel. Could be pretty weird flying around the sim and not being to fly over a parcel marked as having adult content. It will be interesting to see how much adult content is on SL and how many parcels are tagged that way. If most people choose not to be verified (I won't...I'm really concerned about privacy here), then stores will lose biz if they mark themselves as adult content. This could really get complicated, with some stores in a mall with adult and some not...I've seen penises set to sale next to a dress shop.

Never a dull moment in SL.

and what is the point when u can set draw distance to 512m and disable cam restrictions?

they take that away and they`ll have ALOT of angry builders

Case in point is that I'm already 'verified' under LL with my CC.

I live in a 'mature' sim and now have to flag my property as having adult content because of my xxx dog and pony show? >
If I didn't have or want to disclose any other 'acceptable' id, I could conceivably get locked out of my own place?

If you want to enter an adult parcel, then yes, you must be verified or you cannot access it. Verification is being run by a 3rd party called Integrity. They will require real world identity to verify your age, so if you don't want to reveal your RL/SL identity to this 3rd party, you wouldn not opt for adult identity verification.

And I wouldn't worry about camping - traffic is about to be removed and take camping with it.

The point is the providing a credit card is not AGE verification; it's IDENTITY verification. If you want to play naked with the big boys and girls, you need to prove that the person you are is over 18. Having a credit card in your name doesn't do that.

If you have, oh, say, a sex animation, which you are selling in a vendor that has an explict picture on it, so people know what they're shopping for, you make a 4 x 4 sqm parcel and designate that as adult.

Anyone, verified or not, can enter the immediately adjacent area, and see and buy the item. Just can't enter the parcel with the vendor flagged as adult.

----------------------------------

You''re flying along high in the sky, enjoying your plane, and you come to a parcel flagged as adult - and can't enter because of something below that's out of your draw range.