[dom96]

> Requiring proof of identity is the only solution I can think of, despite how unappealing it is

Same. I agree that it is unappealing but it can be done in a way that respects anonymity.

I built this and talk about it here: https://blog.picheta.me/post/the-future-of-social-media-is-h...

I think we’re on the precipice of this being a requirement to have any faith you’re talking to another human. As a side effect it also helps avoid state actors from influencing others.

[MaKey]

> I think we’re on the precipice of this being a requirement to have any faith you’re talking to another human.

Except that it doesn't prove you're talking to a human - it just increases the hurdles for bot operators (buy or steal verified accounts).

[dom96]

It adds enough of a barrier to be worth it. In the way I have implemented it, you can only have one account per ID (for example passport). Yes, you can buy fake passports, but it's prohibitively expensive. Read my blog post for more info.

[MaKey]

This is not a technical issue - it's a societal one. Do we want online ID verification? Are the trade-offs worth it? Do we want to make the internet a place that requires an ID everywhere for age verification or to prove that you're human? What would the implications be?

Regarding your implementation: Most people don't have a passport, so it's a non-starter - but again, this topic is not a technical issue.

[dom96]

I think that it is a technical issue to a certain extent. Governments could make it very easy to prove humanity (and age) in a secure manner that doesn't leak your personal details to the third party that wants to perform the verification.

I don't see that as "requiring ID".

I think the real question is how much do we care that our online spaces are composed of not just AI bots, but also sock puppet accounts controlled by various people (from governments, rich people, all the way to harassers that use alt accounts) wanting to trick us.

[MaKey]

You're still arguing from a technical perspective while not addressing the societal issues that online ID verification leads to. Do we as society really want an internet that resembles a gated community where you can only enter with an ID? What about the people we exclude? Should we abandon the free internet just because of bots and sock puppet accounts? What about other ways to address the issue?

[protocolture]

I mean, reddit accounts are valued based on the identity they have built. Its not farfetched to imagine uninterested users making and selling a single account each.