Second Life Age Verification as Insurance
September 10th, 2007 by Benjamin Duranske
Brief note today to direct readers to this article by ‘Gwyneth Llewelyn’ on age verification in Second Life, and what it really means to the long-term health of Linden Lab, Second Life, and the grid generally. I usually don’t just run pointers to articles, 
but this is the clearest and most sensible explanation I’ve seen regarding this rather controversial topic and I recommend it. ‘Llewelyn’ makes the key point that third-party age verification, essentially, amounts to Linden Lab buying part of a third-party company’s liability insurance.
‘Llewelyn’ also has a more philosophical article about identity verification up on her blog, which has more detail and is worth reading as well.
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2 Responses to “Second Life Age Verification as Insurance”
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It seems like it wouldn’t be worth it? I mean they are paying some kind of fee for the service (which they may pass on eventually) and create some controversy. All for insurance that only covers them if Integrity mis-identifies a minor?
It would seem better to go get a general liability or some other insurance policy. It may be a part of the reason, but I don’t think it’s they whole picture.
I posted somewhere else, but I think that maybe they are looking to open up the main grid for people below the age of 18? If they had an in world “system” in place, then they wouldn’t need to separate out the teen grid. Or maybe this is just a step in that direction.
Second Life’s age verification = identity theft. They request sensitive personal information such as your ID card or passport, entirely disregarding personal and online privacy. And what for? To make sure kids don’t lie to see some 3D porn? You can’t be serious.
You basically give them your whole life. Information about where you live, who your parents are, your full name, and even your picture. LL has no right to request this! It’s outrageous that no legal action has been taken so far, and they’re being allowed to do this for years.