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Tell HN: Dropbox user age verification feature can lock your account

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Tell HN: Dropbox user age verification feature can lock your account

#1

Post by gitrog »

Dropbox released a "user age verification feature" today, which is a simple set of drop downs for you to fill in your birth date.

I made the mistake of choosing "2022" as my year of birth instead of my actual year of birth.

Obviously this is my mistake, but a warning to anyone else: I now have 48 hours to backup my files before I will be locked out of my account, and Dropbox support has been unable to confirm that they can fix the "issue" for me.

I think this is the single worst "feature" I've ever encountered in a software application. I'm honestly shocked.

Re: Tell HN: Dropbox user age verification feature can lock your account

#2

Post by alpaca128 »

> Obviously this is my mistake

No, it isn't. 2022 should not be a valid date of birth in the first place. And the account being locked because of that should probably also not happen without additional checks.

It's okay to have standards even when most UIs are bad.

Re: Tell HN: Dropbox user age verification feature can lock your account

#5

Post by jrockway »

reset-password wrote: post #3

I've gotten into the habit of being born on January 1, 1970. Seems like a good enough date to me.

I always like to see how old I can make myself. 1902? (The 2038 problem in reverse.) 1776? 5 B.C.?

My experience is that I can usually only go back to the 1930s.

Re: Tell HN: Dropbox user age verification feature can lock your account

#7

Post by globular-toast »

alpaca128 wrote: post #2

> Obviously this is my mistake No, it isn't. 2022 should not be a valid date of birth in the first place. And the account being locked because of that should probably also not happen without additional checks. It's okay to have standards even when most UIs are bad.

What should be the lowest valid date of birth? Is there some universal standard? I know it feels like 4 months is quite young, but where would you draw the line?

Re: Tell HN: Dropbox user age verification feature can lock your account

#8

Post by [deleted] »

globular-toast wrote: post #7
alpaca128 wrote: post #2

> Obviously this is my mistake No, it isn't. 2022 should not be a valid date of birth in the first place. And the account being locked because of that should probably also not happen without additional checks. It's okay to have standards even when most UIs are bad.

What should be the lowest valid date of birth? Is there some universal standard? I know it feels like 4 months is quite young, but where would you draw the line?

[deleted]

Re: Tell HN: Dropbox user age verification feature can lock your account

#9

Post by rolph »

globular-toast wrote: post #7
alpaca128 wrote: post #2

> Obviously this is my mistake No, it isn't. 2022 should not be a valid date of birth in the first place. And the account being locked because of that should probably also not happen without additional checks. It's okay to have standards even when most UIs are bad.

What should be the lowest valid date of birth? Is there some universal standard? I know it feels like 4 months is quite young, but where would you draw the line?

it varies from place to place but perhaps the minimum age for participation in a legal contract/useragreement to be binding

Re: Tell HN: Dropbox user age verification feature can lock your account

#10

Post by causi »

globular-toast wrote: post #7
alpaca128 wrote: post #2

> Obviously this is my mistake No, it isn't. 2022 should not be a valid date of birth in the first place. And the account being locked because of that should probably also not happen without additional checks. It's okay to have standards even when most UIs are bad.

What should be the lowest valid date of birth? Is there some universal standard? I know it feels like 4 months is quite young, but where would you draw the line?

I believe many countries have special laws about the online activities of children below the age of 13. Seems like a good cutoff.
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