The internet wants to check your ID

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

Proposed Alternatives to ID Checks

  • Some argue services like Tea should use webs of trust (invitation networks, cascading bans) instead of ID audits.
  • Zero-knowledge proofs (ZKPs) and selective-disclosure credentials are heavily discussed:
    • Proponents say they can prove “over 18” or “unique human” without leaking identity.
    • Critics say ZKPs are easily proxied, and in practice require “trusted/treacherous computing” (remote attestation, locked-down devices) that erodes user freedom.
    • Others note ZKPs still need an underlying digital identity that can leak, and bugs in phone-based ID wallets (Apple/Google) could expose full documents.

Will the Internet “Route Around” ID?

  • Some expect traffic to move to non‑compliant sites, foreign hosts, dark web, AI porn, piracy, or self‑hosted services.
  • Others counter that governments increasingly control ISPs, DNS, payment rails, and can simply block Tor/VPNs or cut individual access.
  • Debate over whether this resembles past UK pirate radio vs. a much more centralized, controllable internet today.

“Protecting Children” vs. Censorship and Control

  • One camp: internet access already requires adult involvement (ISP, devices, payment); that should be sufficient age gating. Parents, not sites, must supervise.
  • Another camp: offline age checks (alcohol, R‑rated movies) set a precedent; the internet isn’t exempt from societal standards for kids.
  • Many claim “child safety” is a pretext for broader censorship, surveillance, and control of political speech, with concerns about Christian-right or other ideological agendas and payment‑processor chokepoints.
  • Others argue this is bipartisan/bi-ideological: both “sides” have used “protecting children” or “fighting extremism/misinformation” to justify platform and financial censorship.

Privacy Risks and Practical Concerns

  • Strong fear of mass ID collection by porn and social sites, leaks, and deanonymization, versus a bartender’s fleeting look at a physical ID.
  • Some prefer government e‑ID as a single, regulated source; others mistrust governments more than corporations.
  • Pseudonymous, per‑site identifiers are proposed, but several note that any stable identifier becomes PII once linked.

Device‑Side and Labeling Approaches

  • A popular alternative: robust parental controls and device-/router-level filtering based on content labels or headers, with no ID shared with sites.
  • Supporters say this keeps control with parents and avoids deanonymization; skeptics worry about undermining general‑purpose computing and the ease of circumvention by older kids.

Global Trend and Future Outlook

  • Commenters observe near-simultaneous moves in UK, EU, Australia, Canada, and US states, plus YouTube age checks.
  • Some see coordination by private “online safety” or religious groups; others point to long legislative lead times.
  • Several expect new tech and underground ecosystems to emerge specifically to evade ID mandates.