https://www.gamesindustry.biz/esrb-asks-ftc-to-approve-facial-recognition-age-checker
(article also includes a link to the application itself)

Currently in the process of being evaluated by the FTC.

Fancily named "Privacy-Protective Facial Age Estimation" to try and push it in as little negative light as possible, the "advisory" organization whose original MO was to inform the uninformed buyers about the content of a certain product is now moving to active regulation where it wants to have an AI verifying the age of customers. Yet another attempt at that sweet, sweeeeet user data. They keep repeating that the images will be deleted, but no mention about tracking data or analytics. Such data is going to be very appealing to any interested 3rd party buyers I'm sure.

Even better. In case of uncertainty (age 18-25), you will be asked for even further verification in the form of more personal data like card number, driver's license or SSN. And further yet, the firm that would perform the face recognition is Yoti, a subsidiary of Epic Games. And we all know who has a major share in that company.

Hopefully, the FTC blocks this....

"Muuum, please come sit here for a mo!"

Fake beard shipment incoming. :D

Jokes aside, this would (or at least should) have a mountain of trouble to implement in the EU with data protection laws.

"...to verify age."

Yeah, right.

My tinfoil antenna is warning me about some serious bs right here.

14 yo homeless meth addict with health issues:
- PASS, check out this new gambling site!

25 yo fitness model in good health, looking young and fresh
- REJECTED, go ask your parents for permission

Oh boy, I sure do love it when a company demands more of my private information just so I can play games.
I hope this dies hard. This is not good for the customer, especially the customer's security.

I'm still wondering what industry back-hander the ESRB must have taken to come out with "lootboxes aren't gambling" back in 2017. Clearly 'protecting the interests of young gamers' there...

Man this is going to be such a lame dystopia.

Last time i checked the ESRB had no power in the EU. Our rating board is PEGI.
Even if they did, this crap breaks all sorts of privacy laws here.

I feel sorry for US citizens if this gets approved, i really do.

This will fail due to minor child data protection laws. No way they'll be allowed to collect data on young people under the age of 13. That will definitely violate some rights. Their job is to advise what may or may not be appropriate, not to deny access to "questionable" content.

If something like that come to pass and become mandatory it would technically makes DRM-free games illegal, at least all the M ones. As you cannot require an online face validation on something playable offline.

There's a possibility that PEGI might adopt the same policy if it takes off in the US though.
So if it does get approved it might come over here. It would be better for everyone if it fails.

Obviously i want it to fail. That should go without saying.

But even if PEGI does a "monkey see, monkey do" (doubtful), this kind of thing would never get past our privacy laws.
GDPR first and foremost.

^^ This.

See attached classic example.
(I don't know if it is real or fabricated, but it's definitely plausible.)