What they're not telling you: Hello, I've been seeing a lot on the age verification, id verification, digital identity, and so on, On privacy threads and Hacker News & open source development threads, I'd like to begin to simply say, that the first and most important step for this thing is to, rename it, we are using the marketing name of the big corporations that attempt t.
# THE TAKE: Age Verification Is Infrastructure for Surveillance Capitalism The legislative push for age verification isn't about protecting children. It's standardization of identity infrastructure that platforms desperately wanted but couldn't implement alone. Consider the mechanics: every verification system requires document submission, biometric capture, or behavioral analysis—creating permanent digital records. Who audits these databases? Nobody. Who sells the aggregated data? Everyone. The real tell: tech companies *support* these mandates now. Why? Because compliance costs destroy competitors while providing them verified identity layers they've always lacked. It's regulatory capture dressed as harm reduction. Digital ID legislation follows identical patterns—ostensibly for security, actually for permanent trackability. Once normalized, scope creeps. Always. The hacker community's instinct is correct: this isn't about age. It's infrastructure. And unlike previous surveillance stacks, this one's legal.
What the Documents Show
This story originates from r/privacy. The details have received minimal coverage from major outlets — which should tell you something. tech-&-privacy news is at the center of what's emerging.
Primary Sources
- Source: r/privacy
- Category: Tech & Privacy
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