Show HN: Privacy Friendly Age Verification System
A new privacy-focused age verification system was launched on Hacker News, designed to confirm a user's age without exposing their full date of birth or other personal data. The system aims to minimize data collection and enhance user privacy while still meeting legal age-check requirements.
Background
- This is a "Show HN" post on Hacker News — a community where builders share their side projects and startups for feedback.
- The project proposes a privacy-friendly age verification system, likely using cryptographic techniques (e.g., zero-knowledge proofs) to confirm a user is over a certain age without revealing their exact birth date or other personal data.
- Age verification is a hotly debated topic in tech policy: the UK, EU, and several US states are introducing laws requiring age checks for social media, adult content, and online services, raising concerns about privacy and surveillance.
- Existing approaches often require uploading a government ID (which exposes full identity) or use facial age estimation (which raises bias and consent concerns).