Think of the children: How to force real ID for all internet traffic (2023)
Efforts to “protect children online” by requiring government ID or strict age verification for internet use are seen by many as a pretext for expanding state and corporate control over digital life. Commenters weigh parental responsibility and local technical measures (filters, headers, device controls) against proposals for mandatory ID, warning that such systems would normalize surveillance, erode anonymity, and be vulnerable to data leaks. Others, worried about harms from social media and foreign disinformation, argue that some form of stronger regulation or identity assurance may be unavoidable, highlighting a deep tension between safety, privacy, and democratic freedoms.
KYC, liability, and chilling effects
- Several comments link age/ID laws to broader KYC/AML-style regimes that push liability down the stack, incentivizing overblocking, self‑censorship, and “safety” maximalism.
- Proposed counter: make companies fully liable for third‑party ID data leaks (e.g., massive per‑user fines) so that not collecting data becomes the economically rational choice.
- Skepticism: shell companies or undercapitalized entities could dodge real penalties.
Government, legitimacy, and limits of “coding a new state”
- Debate over whether you can “build a new government in code.”
– Critics argue legitimacy and monopoly on legitimate force are political, not technical.
– Others counter that enough popular demand plus code can shift power, but concede current evidence shows tech mostly amplifies existing power structures.
Age verification, RTA headers, and parental responsibility
- Strong preference from many for client/device‑side solutions: RTA/adult meta headers plus parental controls on devices and routers, avoiding central PII collection.
- Some advocate bans on internet‑capable devices for minors, likening unsupervised access to handing a child a loaded gun. Others call this unrealistic and hyperbolic.
- Disagreement on whether porn platforms should use KYC; some see it as necessary liability, others as dangerous data hoarding.
“Think of the children” as pretext vs genuine concern
- Many see child‑protection rhetoric as a pretext for mass surveillance, traffic control, or corporate CYA.
- Others emphasize parents are “losing the war” against addictive social platforms and support stronger, even legal, restrictions as collective action.
Real ID, disinformation, and election security
- Some favor real‑ID for major social platforms to reduce foreign disinformation and bot operations.
- Others fear irreversible infrastructure for overreach and note that current manipulation is largely via content/psyops, not fake ballots.
Technical resistance: routers, VPN meshes, radio, and hacking
- Suggested defenses: home routers with MITM filtering, mesh VPNs, underground radio/LoRa/mesh networks, privacy‑preserving identity schemes, and widespread offensive hacking literacy.
- Counterpoint: if such efforts ever meaningfully threaten state power, they’ll be repressed; ultimate defense is political change, not just technical workarounds.
Anonymity, bots, and future of online speech
- Some argue anonymity no longer empowers democracy when bots are cheap and persuasive; others insist on strong encryption and anonymous speech as non‑negotiable.
- Expectation from multiple commenters that anonymity will erode while bot activity remains widespread.
Broader fears about digital IDs and state control
- Concerns extend to digital IDs, digital currency, and environmental/social control agendas, seen as steps toward comprehensive behavioral regulation and loss of autonomy.