this post was submitted on 27 Dec 2024
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Valve refused to comment for the video.

(page 2) 50 comments
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[–] [email protected] 6 points 4 months ago
[–] [email protected] 59 points 4 months ago (3 children)

As an old person who only kinda knew that lootboxes exist, this series was a huge eye opener to the insane amount of money and industry that has emerged around them. 10/10 would recommend to my fellow olds.

Now to head back to Bioshock where the only cost to looting boxes is that I might get attacked by a splicer.

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[–] [email protected] 103 points 4 months ago (5 children)

Honestly, Valve should just ask for proof that you are 18+ if you want to sell items on Steam market or trade them.

Easiest solution IMO.

[–] [email protected] 30 points 4 months ago (1 children)

Not going to happen since Valve doesn’t want to manage a database of IDs. It’s why sex games with real life actors aren’t allowed on Steam since that would require Steam to have IDs and consent contracts of all the actors stored on their side.

And Gaben is a hardcore libertarian, probably despises government IDs.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 4 months ago (1 children)

Previously, I had mused over vague ideas about whether blockchain technologies could go into a "proof of real person" system, by one-way-hashing information used to verify only basic details about a person. Eg: They exist, are a unique person, and are over a certain age. Ideally, it could be set up in a way that cannot easily correlate them between company databases.

That said, no real need to poke holes in the idea, because...that was the easy part, and it will probably never happen (or be far more draconian than I describe)

[–] [email protected] 2 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) (6 children)

It absolutely can be done with zero knowledge proofs, but it needs to be from an authoritative source.

It could prove you are over the age of 18 (or 21) without having to divulge any other sensitive information, and be untrackable between sites or any outside agency (e.g government doesn't know and can't know you visited a site or location that verifies your age)

They could add it to our drivers licenses or passports or whatever which would cover the authoritative part. Your ID is an NFT at that point, and could be fully digital.

Edit: they might even tie generating the proof to requiring a biometric verification (fingerprint) so you can't give your ID to someone else.

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[–] [email protected] 62 points 4 months ago (1 children)

When they were asked to implement age verification in Germany, they simply pulled anything off their platform in the country that would require it instead. Mind you Germany has a system that makes age verification anonymous so if privacy concerns you, you could just implement it. (Almost no platform does because they want your data though.)

Valve doesn’t want to touch age verification with a 10 yard stick and that tells me it is probably the way to go here. Because once they have it, the path for more regulations is clear.

[–] [email protected] 35 points 4 months ago (3 children)

In this arena, more regulation is needed. Anonymous age verification is a good idea, but I question the actual anonymity. It usually depends on trust of some entity. And I just can't fathom an entity that can really be trusted.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 4 months ago (1 children)

Well the entity is the government. You know, the guys who create your ID in the first place. It’s not perfect but it’s the best one I could conceive.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 4 months ago (2 children)

You can trust them to create the ID because it benefits them. But to guard you anonymity... that actually hurts them. So you can be sure they won't.

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[–] [email protected] 1 points 4 months ago (2 children)

This. ID and anonymity are antithetical

[–] [email protected] 4 points 4 months ago

If all the ID consists of, then no it's not.

As long as the part asking for ID trusts the part verifying the ID, there is no need for anonymity to be broken, since the verifier just has to confirm what the asking part needs to know.

Think of it like someone owns a bar and needs to know if a patron is old enough to drink, and the bar owners brother or best friend says "I know that guy, he is old enough".

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[–] [email protected] 15 points 4 months ago (1 children)

It uses the government ID, which has a built in NFC chip. You can use a phone in combination with your ID and it's pin to verify your age online. The ID scanner app will tell you which parameters the website requests from your ID, and its possible to only request the birthdate.

I don't like the system, but it is truly anonymous

[–] [email protected] 13 points 4 months ago (1 children)

Sounds like it is only anonymous if you fully trust the app. That app has all your information, and the site you are trying to access. And I bet it is completely closed source. It also likely has logs about what sires it is giving information to. Not who's info in that log. But elsewhere it probably has logs on who's id it verified. Get access to both, and software can start to crunch the numbers and figure out who went where. That if course is assuming they don't decide in the future that it is worth just keeping that data together in one spot. There is just no entity that could manage that app which wouldn't have a motive to use the data and power it has.

[–] [email protected] 25 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) (2 children)

No, the app is completely open source and has reproducible builds. And the site you are accessing only gets the information it requested, and you see which information it requested in the app before scanning your ID

https://github.com/Governikus/AusweisApp

[–] [email protected] -3 points 4 months ago (3 children)

Now you are starting to sound like you know what your talking about. But I'm not convinced yet. So when the app sends just the requested data to the site, how does the site verify that the data is legit. A person could fork the app and hack it. I am sure they thought of this, I just don't know what thier solution is. And I can't read german.

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[–] [email protected] 4 points 4 months ago (1 children)

Bit invasive if you have to provide photo id...

[–] [email protected] 14 points 4 months ago (4 children)

How often can one get a credit card at under the age of 18?

Surely that is a decent measure of it.

Also age of account? Mine is 21 in just over a week...

[–] [email protected] 14 points 4 months ago (1 children)

You would have to get a credit card though.

I don't have one and I don't want one. A debit card is good enough for me and those are possible and common to get before you turn 18.

I also imagine it's easier for kids to get their parents to enter their credit card details compared to an ID card without asking questions.

[–] [email protected] -2 points 4 months ago (1 children)

You should never use a debit card online, though.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) (2 children)

Why?

It works perfectly well for me.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 4 months ago (4 children)

With a debit card that's your money at risk. With a credit card it's the credit card company's money.

Credit card companies are required by law to reverse fraudulent charges, but banks aren't.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 4 months ago

Plus there's extra protections for credit cards, at least in the UK. Spend a certain amount and if the company goes bust you get your money back. Saved my ass with two different airlines that got into financial trouble once they'd taken my money.

I think fraud is required to be refunded by banks as well as credit issuers, but I'm sure most people would rather have money to spend on food and bills while they investigate, and you're not going to get that if your account has been drained.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 4 months ago (1 children)

What law? My bank will (and has) reversed charges.

Lots of American defaultism in this thread. I only want to state that outside of the US things can be different with regards to banking.

For example, taking up debt is discouraged, while in the US it is encouraged to get a good "credit score".

[–] [email protected] 3 points 4 months ago

Here's the thing, I hate the debt obsession in the US, however it's also really not that difficult to not get into way more debt then you can manage (barring medical expenses) and having a high credit score (even though it is stupid) absolutely does help in a ton of ways here.

I would encourage Americans to play the game smart, use credit as if it were debit, do not intentionally go into debt unless absolutely necessary, and if you're in that position you should start seeking help, because getting crushed in debt is fucking awful.

I learned a lot of what NOT to do from my parents and paying attention during the 2008 crisis.

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[–] [email protected] 0 points 4 months ago (3 children)

Debit card is tied directly to your bank account with no rollbacks. If somebody gets that info and decides to clean out your bank account, that money is gone, period, and you'll never see it again.

With a credit card, you have a degree of separation and the ability to contest or roll back charges. Debit cards don't do that.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 4 months ago

The do in Europe, mate.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 4 months ago (2 children)

You're in America, right? This isn't necessarily true everywhere.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) (4 children)

In Europe it's like this:

Want to do a chargeback with American express or similar credit cards: call the toll free number and do it in less than 90 seconds, instantly approved

Want to do a chargeback with a debit card: you need to go to the police station and report the seller for fraud, then find the chargeback form hidden somewhere on the bank website, fill it and send it back together with the police fraud report via FAX (no email) to the bank, which might or might not approve it in 90 days. If it approves that, they will take a 30 euro fee from what you will get

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[–] [email protected] 1 points 4 months ago

Yeah, guilty as charged

[–] [email protected] 1 points 4 months ago

I have just set so that I need a digital ID to use the card for digital purchases.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 4 months ago (1 children)

Also age of account? Mine is 21 in just over a week...

Then there will be a market for steam accounts (if there isn't one yet)

[–] [email protected] 5 points 4 months ago

There definitely is already a resale market for Steam accounts, mostly used by cheaters or scammers who want a legitimate-looking account with no game or trade bans.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 4 months ago

Or on the stock market or gambling which this is basically a mix of.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 4 months ago

Same way as most kids got gta at 13

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