Comments on: IMVU Deploys Third-Party Age Verification Solution

By: Amanda Brown

Amanda Brown — Sun, 06 Jun 2010 22:01:27 +0000

I had to buy mine for $16.00 and they want me to fax/mail my license. If they do that without giving me a warning, it makes me not want to trust them, and I cannot get a refund.

By: John Carter McKnight

John Carter McKnight — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 21:05:06 +0000

@Benjamin – Will do!

By: Benjamin Duranske

Benjamin Duranske — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 16:58:45 +0000

@3 John – I’d love to see a copy of the paper when you’re done with it.

By: Magnum Serpentine

Magnum Serpentine — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 16:53:36 +0000

I believe Blockbuster and other companies are the ones that Social Security Administration is refering to… I get the feeling this is one of those things people do absent mindly give info and not think.

SSN and State Agencies seem to be saying demand another form of indentification or don’t shop with them at all.

By: Benjamin Duranske

Benjamin Duranske — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 05:11:58 +0000

@4 – Good question. I don’t really say it is “good” (though the way Second Life is doing it with name/geographic location also being verifiable is definitely helpful for professionals) but I would note that I’m asked to give my drivers license and social security number to rent movies at Blockbuster or get a gym membership. For better or worse, it is a pretty common request at this point. Legally, like I pointed out above, I don’t think age verification really helps these companies very much in the long run — unlike Blockbuster, where it at least does allow them track me down if I steal their movies.

By: Magnum Serpentine

Magnum Serpentine — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 02:48:38 +0000

No one has answered, if this is so good, then why does Social Security, And many state agencies refused to support it and they go further, they say do not give your number, Drivers license or SSN to anyone.

Magnum Serpentine

By: John Carter McKnight

John Carter McKnight — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 00:40:06 +0000

I agree with your analysis (and I’m currently writing a paper on the subject ). It seems like a typical corporate response to hysteria – but without the hysteria.

Very weak legally, and more likely to stir the media pot than downplaying the issue would. A strange legal and PR choice.

By: Cyn Vandeverre

Cyn Vandeverre — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 18:14:10 +0000

I mistyped. The over-18 person was told by the under-18 person that the younger person was a legal adult (but wasn’t.)

By: Cyn Vandeverre

Cyn Vandeverre — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 17:39:33 +0000

I’ve seen a few articles recently about real-life situations where an over-18 person was prosecuted for a consensual sexual situation with someone who was below the age of consent — but told the over-18 that they were “legal.”

Makes me want to take a photocopy of the Driver’s License of any potential romantic liaison I might have, before anything even *starts* — I could see age verification protecting in-world participants in this way, not only the hosting company.