Linden Lab: No stated plans to improve verification outside USA
by Tateru Nino 
Jan 14th 2008 at 3:00PM
Filed under: News items, Second Life
The Age Verification (or Identity Verification, as it seems like it might be called internally again) implementation for Second Life has been a fairly fraught process so far, with no clear resolution in sight.
With allegations of dubious respect for privacy on the part of the verification provider, questions about the actual nature of the service being provided, difficulties closing the deal, policy changes about whether it will be mandatory or not and whether you will be able to tell if someone is verified or not, doubts about the effectiveness of the actual restrictions, that the system seems to be easily cheated, that Linden Lab doesn't appear to trust that successful verification is sufficient, and a slew of issues and open questions (not limited to the fact that it may be quite likely unlawful for you to provide your identity information if you are outside the USA due to assorted anti-terror laws and agreements) ... well, it hasn't been a smooth road in the almost-a-year since this started.
Right now verification is extremely spotty for users outside the United States of America (or, in other words, for the majority of Second Life's registered users). Back in December, we asked Linden Lab if there were plans to improve verification by developing processes that would allow lawful and improved verification of citizens outside the USA.
At that time there were no plans apparently worth mentioning.
Well, we've asked again today (because heaven knows, we're still curious as to where all of this is going), and we got our answer that no, there are still no stated plans to provide improved verification for non-US residents.
In fact, Linden Lab haven't exactly been very communicative about the system at all in the last month, leading us to wonder if the whole thing hasn't been quietly shelved. Still, the median implementation time for any major items at Linden Lab seems to be about 14 months, from having looked back at the timelines of previous developments. Something could still pop out of the hat in the next few weeks.
If that is the case, then whatever it is that they've got planned for the verification system, it seems quite clear they don't want anyone to find out before it is set in stone. We can't help but wonder why.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Tymmerie Thorne said on 4:02PM 1-14-2008
LL could fix this issue (and kill off some griefing) very simply. They need to REQUIRE PAYMENT INFORMATION! Then they need to charge a $1 (or some nominal amount). One week later they could reverse the charge. What does this do? It makes it a bit more complicated for minors to set up accounts and gives parents/guardians TWO opportunities to see unauthorized activity on an account statement. Is it foolproof? Nope. But it would go a long way toward reducing the number of minors with SL accounts. I know this from personal experience; a sim neighbor with no payment info on file admitted to me that he was a young teen (which I promptly reported to LL - I live on a mature sim) and that he had friends who also had accounts (and his friends had child avatars).
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bobby said on 8:36PM 1-14-2008
i agree that some kind of payment information would be a great idea, and definitely a step in the right direction. at least a heck of a lot more useful than the aristotle mess.
i fail to see why the "his friends had child avs" is relevant here at all. not everyone who plays a sl kid is a RL kid, thankyouverymuch.
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