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Pornhub prepares to block five more states rather than check IDs

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Re: Pornhub prepares to block five more states rather than check IDs

#71

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Whether that solves it just depends on who you're worried about having your data. Something like OpenID would keep your identifying data away from PornHub but it would allow the OpenID provider know when you visit PornHub. For PornHub that also gives other companies, the OpenID providers, the power to censor PornHub but refusing to verify age or identity.

I dare say this would actually be even more harmful than Pornhub holding people's IDs, as it would then give OpenID immense power to track not only the fact that you watch porn, but also what other services you use as well...

That's my main gripe with OAuth and SSO logins. It's such an obvious tradeoff between convenience and centralizing power.

I don't really want GitHub knowing everything I sign into, but in some cases like Tailscale my only option is to tell GitHub about it or not use Tailscale.

Re: Pornhub prepares to block five more states rather than check IDs

#72

I am certain that Pornhub isn't doing this because they actually care about PII. However, I can think of a number of reason why they are taking this stance: * They don't want the work to do the verification to be their problem, and to be legally responsible when (not if) it goes wrong. * They know that age restricted devices are few and far between, so this is just an effort to kick the can down the road another deca…

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Re: Pornhub prepares to block five more states rather than check IDs

#73
post #68

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Obviously children viewing hardcore porn on Pornhub’s sites.

Do you have any evidence that this was a problem?

Providing access to hardcore porn to people regardless of their age is a problem.

Re: Pornhub prepares to block five more states rather than check IDs

#74

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Someone would have to gather that data. It's not like a password that can be detached from physical reality. Your date of birth is somewhat inherent to your identity.

The federal government could offer it as a service, just like they do in the physical world with physical IDs.

Don't know about you, but I definitely don't want the federal government intervening between me and my porn. So many opportunities for abuse of power!

Re: Pornhub prepares to block five more states rather than check IDs

#76

Why not allow liquor stores and other establishments that check IDs anyway issue a digital certificate that you are of age? Here's my ID, here's my pornhub account name, here's a service fee, digitally attest to the fact that I proved that I'm of legal age. Seems like the real motive here is deanonymization.

When someone of age consistently buys liquor for minors, they'll eventually get caught in many cases, due to the likely rambunctiousness of inexperienced drinkers. Would the same be true here?

Re: Pornhub prepares to block five more states rather than check IDs

#77
post #5

Is there a way to prove your age without being identified/logging in? Surely some kind of OpenID style protocol can be invented for this with zero knowledge of personal information ending up with pornhub or which sites were being given age verification?

Verifiable Credentials - https://www.w3.org/TR/vc-data-model-2.0/

Re: Pornhub prepares to block five more states rather than check IDs

#78
post #2

[flagged]

> It is already the case that for the most part whatever we do online is known by some third party entity. Online privacy is essentially dead and has been for many years. I’m not implying this is good or desirable but that it is just the reality of things.

This is a very defeatist point of view. It is still possible to choose not to share the majority of your online activity with third parties.

Online privacy is essentially dead for people who don't bother maintaining it.

My online privacy is still largely intact, and I will do my best to keep it that way.

Re: Pornhub prepares to block five more states rather than check IDs

#79
post #5

Is there a way to prove your age without being identified/logging in? Surely some kind of OpenID style protocol can be invented for this with zero knowledge of personal information ending up with pornhub or which sites were being given age verification?

Whether that solves it just depends on who you're worried about having your data. Something like OpenID would keep your identifying data away from PornHub but it would allow the OpenID provider know when you visit PornHub. For PornHub that also gives other companies, the OpenID providers, the power to censor PornHub but refusing to verify age or identity.

Verifiable Credentials can be used in place of OpenID to allow a user to make verifiable attestations about themselves without the authority having to be present.

It would still have many of the same flaws as OpenID, but at least you accessing a site wouldnt notify the authority.

Re: Pornhub prepares to block five more states rather than check IDs

#80
post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Sure, a digital signature from an authority would do it. Similar to how HTTPS CAs verify that people really own domains and issue signed certificates.

The problem is that authority would be central, and that authority would know who you are. I think the questioner was looking for solutions that have no authority. Least of all centralized authority.

The centralised authority would only verify your age, not what porn you're going to look at.

As for it being centralised, I'm all for web-of-trust but I thought we'd pretty much given up on that?

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