Sony to require age verification to use Playstation chat

https://www.gamespot.com/articles/s...station-age-verification-report/1100-6539507/

"PlayStation users who want to make use of certain console features--namely, online communication with other players--will soon be required to verify their age, according to a recent report from Insider Gaming.

The report cites an email from Sony Interactive Entertainment that reads, "Verify your age to keep using communication features," and goes on to reveal plans to implement world-wide age verification later this year (though the email does not provide a specific date)."

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Rather amusing given the playstation data hack that happened one year ago this month.

So minors would not be allowed to play multiplayer games with voicechat? That sounds like some PRC crap.

Also I love it how they always phrase it as respecting your privacy. Really, demanding to tell you my age and show my ID, effectively de-anonymizing myself to you, exposing the data to government overreach, hackers, and whatnot is about respecting my privacy? Please tell me more how that works.

How age verification is going to play out. These people don't get how smart children actually are.

This is one of those times where I'm torn.

I have a 14 year old, and 11 year old, and an 8 year old. Only the 14 year old will be effected by Sony's decision at this point.

I do my best to educate my kids about the Internet and what they may come across. I filter tons of shit on my network. I do the best I can. However, I can't filter or watch everything. All 3 kids play Roblox. I absolutely loathe the fact that they had to do facial recognition to chat to friends. Our neighbor who is 15 was listed as 20 by the Robolox age validation program. However, I did see when my 8 year old got manipulated by an older person for an uneven trade or just stealing something from my kid. I can't protect the 8 year old from 100% of it all the time. If I did he'd be bored.

So while I hate that Sony is doing this I also go...my 11 year old daughter and my 8 year old son need added protection that I can't necessarily handle all the time.

This is where what Sony is doing is a good thing but a lot of time and money need to be thrown into that "thing" in order to be sure it actually does what we want it to.

Fuck that. I am never giving a gaming company my ID. My PSN account itself is almost old enough to drink so they better not ask me for my ID.

M76 said:

So minors would not be allowed to play multiplayer games with voicechat? That sounds like some PRC crap.

Also I love it how they always phrase it as respecting your privacy. Really, demanding to tell you my age and show my ID, effectively de-anonymizing myself to you, exposing the data to government overreach, hackers, and whatnot is about respecting my privacy? Please tell me more how that works.

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While I'm not keen on submitting ID just to use voice chat, I can absolutely understand why you'd want to age-gate it.

I have a preschooler. If he gets into gaming when he's old enough, I don't want him being subjected to toxic voice chats where people are hurling racist/sexist/anti-LGBT slurs and otherwise treating people like garbage. A console should either omit voice entirely or limit him to people he can actually trust. He needs to learn how to interact with people in a healthy way first.

That's part of why, if I had to get a console right this second, I'd buy a Switch 2. It's not as powerful as a PS5 and doesn't have as wide a game selection... but the beefier parental controls, including a stricter approach to voice chat, could be lifesavers. That and a more kid-friendly game selection means I won't have teachers roasting me for my boy's language. I also appreciate the option of video avatars so you're reminded that there are real people on the other side.