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EU Age Verification Project Mandates Hardware-Bound Attestation

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Re: EU Age Verification Project Mandates Hardware-Bound Attestation

#2
> Linux is not explicitly banned. Desktop Linux users could access a website and scan a QR code using a supported mobile wallet.

That's a weird way of putting it. You'll basically need a second non-Linux device if you want to use Linux.

If your reason for using Linux is "I want to continue using old hardware instead of quickly-obsoleted devices", then you're shit outta luck: you'll have to buy a (potentially second) device from one of those vendors who'll use the profits to further lobby against your rights.

Re: EU Age Verification Project Mandates Hardware-Bound Attestation

#3

> Linux is not explicitly banned. Desktop Linux users could access a website and scan a QR code using a supported mobile wallet. That's a weird way of putting it. You'll basically need a second non-Linux device if you want to use Linux. If your reason for using Linux is "I want to continue using old hardware instead of quickly-obsoleted devices", then you're shit outta luck: you'll have to buy a (potentially second)…

And it's not just desktop _linux_ that's not allowed, but any desktop operating system, since this only works with "smartphones" not general-purpose computers.

(and of course even if they were to support computers, an age/id verification system either won't work at all or only work to be abused by those in power)

Re: EU Age Verification Project Mandates Hardware-Bound Attestation

#4
I don't understand where the all the EU anti-trust and anti-corruption regulators are here. _Governments_ enforcing that you have a Google or Apple account to participate in society is transparently absurd.

This isn't only a digital sovereignty issue, it's also an anti-competition issue.

Re: EU Age Verification Project Mandates Hardware-Bound Attestation

#5
> a maintainer confirmed that hardware-bound attestation is a mandatory architectural requirement

Hardware-bound is not a problem, limiting that to only iPhones and some Android phones is. Plenty of hardware can keep a key safe and it doesn't need Apple's or Google's blessing.

Re: EU Age Verification Project Mandates Hardware-Bound Attestation

#7
post #4

I don't understand where the all the EU anti-trust and anti-corruption regulators are here. _Governments_ enforcing that you have a Google or Apple account to participate in society is transparently absurd. This isn't only a digital sovereignty issue, it's also an anti-competition issue.

The EU way is to think these things are “free” and then act surprised by the inevitable consequences five years later when it is irreversible.

Our AI gods cannot save us soon enough.

Re: EU Age Verification Project Mandates Hardware-Bound Attestation

#8
note that hardware attestation does not utilize ZKP or blind signatures. so your hardware ID is technically exposed.

usually to make use of the exposure multi-party collusion is required. Google or Apple attestation intermediaries (they convert your static certificate into an ephemeral one) would need to be logging information and when combined with information from the party you attested to (done with the ephemeral certificate) they will have your unique device identifier (the unchangeable certificate burned into the silicon).

it's doubly insidious because nothing is preventing the manufacturer from recording the certificate identifier and connecting it to an order ID for the device. so not only can they tie together multiple accounts, they could tie it to the identity that purchased the device.

on mobile devices you can't even restrict this functionality as it's exposed via API (remote attestation and also DRM license request handshake initiation). not even grapheneos gives you to option to disable it.

also, the implication of the above is that there is no private way to have a google account on an android phone. they will know it's you or the previous owner of the device who sold it to you (makes VPN irrelevant).

Re: EU Age Verification Project Mandates Hardware-Bound Attestation

#9

[flagged]

It's very commonly the anti-EU politicians who inevitably get into EU parliament (due to representative voting, ironically more democratic than the FPTP system we use in the UK, despite all the wailing about democracy) who endorse such obviously stupid ideas, as a way to undermine the credibility of the EU.

What's frustrating is that it works really well, and occasionally they get something truly stupid through- which goes a long way to whipping up anti-EU sentiment, but then they're forcing their countries to actually do the stupid thing... Nobody seems to call out this self-sabotage.

Re: EU Age Verification Project Mandates Hardware-Bound Attestation

#10
post #9

[flagged]

It's very commonly the anti-EU politicians who inevitably get into EU parliament (due to representative voting, ironically more democratic than the FPTP system we use in the UK, despite all the wailing about democracy) who endorse such obviously stupid ideas, as a way to undermine the credibility of the EU. What's frustrating is that it works really well, and occasionally they get something truly stupid through- whic…

I suppose you have a lot of data backing this claim?

The head of the EU, Ursula von der Leyen, isn't known to be anti-EU.

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