So you think you have solved your age verification problem with zero-knowledge proofs... https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2026/08/zkps-arent-age-verification-silver-bullets
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@evacide Age verification is a total bs.
What if...
1. Stiff legal consequences for large media sites that fail to quickly respond to reports of bullying or predatory behavior. (thinking of Roblox)
2. Funding to help schools and public libraries create ad-free well moderated spaces FOR young people.
I know the bans and age checks aren't really about solving the problem but what WOULD be?
It's just a lot of "go away" and "not for you" ... where will kids go exactly?
@evacide i remember those german corrupt hackers in the times around 2015 manipultaing iPhones and switching the hashes for the fingerprint for people trying to unlock. They controlled put off devices as well all the time. Camera, microphone, processes running, just the display was off and all that could indicate a being put on. Complete fooling!
When hardware is insecure, nothing is secure!
still we wait for next generation M Chip! And even this will get bypassed by corrupt authorities!
@evacide I solved my age verification issues by not requiring it / refusing to implement and refusing to comply. Any site that demands it, I just don't use anymore. I'll be back on IRC with dialup before I submit to that nonsense.
@evacide Thanks for posting this. Server side age verification, even with ZKP, is not private. Moreover, with Hardware Attestation, it effectively signs the death of Open Source:
Changing a single line of code will invalidate your attestation and ban you from society
Local parental-like control is the best solution: more robust, can't be bypassed by VPN, can block uncooperative websites (add their IP/domain to the local block list) & compatible with competition, free society and open source
@evacide
Couldn't having to read an analog clock suffice?
@evacide Thank you for posting this. I was guilty of thinking ZKP *might* be a solution, but this reality check has changed my mind firmly to the negative.
@TallSimon I'm glad to hear it.
@evacide From a technical perspective, if zero-knowledge proofs work like authentication “tokens,” then there’s a scale and complexity problem. Implementing authentication tokens within a single organizational network is difficult enough, what with all the different kinds of users, accounts, platforms, and applications it needs to work on. But…people think this kind of thing is workable for the whole Internet?
@evacide Classic case of technical solutions trying to solve people problems. Just doesn't work. At least not without ridiculous costs
