To not want to share my identity to access Social Media.

[Dbank]

With the current proposals to limit social media to over 16, would by definition require everyone to use some form of age verification to continue to have access.

Would you be happy to submit personal information, be it a bank card, a passport or a facial image to a third party, most probably based outside of the UK and not subject to GDPR?

What does this mean?

dont share your identify = no optional social media.

how does privacy not being optional fit into this? It’s not clear what your point is

"Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety."

Digital natives are already middle aged I’m afraid…! Anyone born after around 1980 is considered to be a digital native! You’re perhaps thinking of the Google generation, who grew up with the internet - those born in the very early ‘90s I think. But then they are also early 30s, so approaching middle age as well ;)

Its a tough one for me.

The Internet generally needs more regulation. The companies we use today know so much about us anyway I don’t think them knowing our ID would change much.

I also think I would trust the safety and security of my data more with a private company than I would the government. The Government IT systems are archaic and badly managed. If someone wanted to hack them I think it would be far easier than some company holding my ID longer than GDPR requires.

I also think, sadly, most parents haven’t got a clue about online digital safety whatsoever. They haven’t got a clue what their kids do online or how to lock down and configure apps to make children safer. As such, if parents can’t/don’t educate themselves then we become reliant on laws to help protect them. It’s a need in a developing society

I just don’t know what they should be or best way for implementation. There is a need though. I also think the advisors and legislators in government are largely IT illiterate and we should be consulting specialists for some more blue sky thinking.

Anyone seen when Mark Zuckerberg got interviewed in congress and the old blokes had zero clue what he was saying as they didn’t even understand what they were asking? That’s the road we are generally on imho. Blind (random politicians), leading the blind (parents, also largely not cyber specialists).

At the moment the social media platforms are identifying those users who they think may be under 16, and asking them to either provide evidence that they are over 16 or asking them to do a facial scan. The platforms are analysing people’s usage patterns to identify under 16s. It’s a slow process….a lot of my son’s friends haven’t been asked to prove age, and those that have, have just done the face scan.

If you order an energy drink from Co-Op for example, it's the same age restriction as in store. I doubt a lot of UberEats drivers would bother if it was just done on trust, so I guess it's a way to protect the company. They literally can't 'complete' the order and get paid until they've done it.

I don’t think people should be anonymous on SM. They should own the cr@p they write!

They already have identity verification for lots of online things and only reputable companies are used. They don't just farm it out to any idiot with a computer.
The government uses the post office for example and considering they also have to do identity checks in person over the counter, and now do them online as well both methods have to meet UK Digital Identity and Attributes Trust Framework and pass top level encryption and security requirements.
If you apply for a passport someone somewhere has your data and stores it. You need to calm down or just go into a hole and pretend you don't exist. Good luck with that.

It’s the same for age verification for say Royal Mail when you receive over 18 goods in the post your postman takes your Id

but then that’s the same in shops etc and we don’t think twice about showing a check out operator our driving licence

Fair enough when it comes to the local village idiot posting rubbish on your community Facebook group (or MN!), but there are plenty of legitimate reasons someone may want or need to be anonymous social media.

Investigative journalists, whistle-blowers, people who've escaped abuse...it's a tricky one.

can you explain this to me? I need to stay anonymous from my abuser. I submit ID to TikTok to get an account. How does my abuser access this data?

I disagree. You don’t HAVE to to use it. Those who do should be identifiable.

Just quit social media altogether. I deleted my Instagram account yesterday. It's time we all moved on...itbjust causes more harm than good.

My dad's first comment about harrasssment on SM: "Just don't go on there?"

Don't go on platforms that have age verification then, OP. That's your choice.

What's your real name then please.

But the point isn’t that other random users know your identity.

the point is the site owners do.

I totally agree, and expect a lot of people to stop using SM, as has happened with porn.

I also agree with the principles of restricting SM from under 16 YO, but I've yet to hear of a viable way that actually prevents access for under 16YO, but maintains privacy for over 16YOs.

The reason is, there isn't away, but we can pretend that "the tech companies can be trusted to invent something" which is basic what the online safety act is.

I’d be happy for everyone to share. But you probably wouldn’t believe me anyway.