I'm really uneasy about giving out biometric data, like facial scans, or any sort of government ID to a third-party verification provider just to access online services. The company claims that personal data gets deleted once the age check is done and that they only share a simple “over 18” result with the platform. However, there have been independent privacy reviews that raise concerns about tracking features and embedded analytics in these services.
Even if these components are intended for preventing fraud or monitoring performance, users absolutely deserve straightforward answers regarding:
- The specific data being collected, including device identifiers and metadata
- How long any of this data is held, including any logs or records related to fraud prevention
- Whether any third parties or sub-processors are involved in managing this data
- If biometric templates are created, how they’re stored, or when they’re deleted
- Whether there are independent audits to confirm the deletion and non-reuse of data
In a time when data breaches happen frequently and digital profiling is so common, requiring users to submit sensitive identity information should come with complete transparency and safeguards that can be independently verified. Simply saying “trust us” isn’t sufficient—especially since biometric data can't be changed like a password if it gets compromised.
I’m all for protecting minors online and I get that laws like the Online Safety Act 2023 put pressure on companies. But privacy and child protection should go hand in hand and not be seen as opposing forces. There should be a way to implement age verification that minimizes data collection, avoids unnecessary tracking, and gives users real choices.
Until we have more transparency, independent oversight, and stronger guarantees about how data is handled in the long term, I'm not comfortable participating.
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