[vaylian]

Stories like these make me sad when I think about chat control and age verification. Kids in the future may no longer be allowed to talk to random helpful strangers on the internet about computers and other technical topics, because apparently the internet is too dangerous for children.

[pphysch]

Suppose the age verification checks stopped. Where exactly are these kids supposed to find "random helpful strangers" on the Internet that isn't also a major vector for predation or nonsensical AI spam?

The open friendly ~safe Internet died long ago.

[gxs]

Reddit? Discord? Other niche forums like the Subaru owner forums or the various audiophile forums? HN?

There are so many places where no one even thinks to ask your age, they just help/troll/etc

If age verification were in place, you may be forbidden from posting to those places which is mind boggling stupid to me

I just don’t see the argument for age verification, it’s just yet another government overreach. It’s a well known thing to use children for any privacy reasons encroaching bills and they are always called “the save the children from online predators and other evil doers” so that you can be easily vilified if you oppose them