[Cryptography] Anonymous age verification

[Peter Fairbrother]

On 16/07/2026 04:25, Peter Gutmann via cryptography wrote:
> zeb--- via cryptography <cryptography at metzdowd.com> writes:
> 
>> The EU has implemented an anonymous age verification app (in minutes, using
>> Claude, I'm led to believe). The current implementation can be bypassed (even
>> en masse using a browser add-on).
> 
> As with social media bans (and many, many other things like littering,
> speeding, etc) the goal isn't to stop everyone all the time, it's to stop as
> many people as is practical.  You're not keeping nation-state attackers out
> here, you're trying to reduce social harm.  If you can solve even 50% of the
> problem you've made a huge difference when it involves tens or hundreds of
> millions of people.

I'm not sure there is a great problem - eg, looking at teenage suicides 
from bullying in the years since social media became popular, the 
underlying rate hasn't changed.

Kids who get bullied may now get bullied online rather than in person. 
Not really the fault of social media. kids interact much the same amount 
  whether it's online or in person.


I digress. To stop or ameliorate any possible harm, we need curated 
feeds, like schools use. Kids have devices which can only be used in 
curated mode. Adult devices are completely uncurated and unverified, but 
maybe you have to look over 18 to buy one.

The forced choice of curation lies in the device. Kids only get curated 
devices.

And ISPs are required to provide the curation.



Peter Fairbrother