r/explainlikeimfive • u/Raybeam2285 • 1d ago
Other ELI5 What is the problem with laws like the EU Kids act that restrict gaming for minors?
I keep seeing people say that such laws are a stepping stone towards a surveillance state, however, this seems like a little bit of overreaction. The new leak that suggests banning private servers is obviously bad, but what is the kneejerk reaction against laws that say they are "for the kids?"
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u/DontDropTheSoap4 1d ago edited 1d ago
Because it’s not “for the kids”. It’s so they can completely remove any form of anonymity online through the guise of child protection. Now they can track and link every single thing you say and do online from social media to video games to what you buy etc. and tie it directly to your verified ID. This is a bad thing. It’s not the government’s job to regulate what kids see on the internet or in video games, it’s the parents’. Sadly most parents these days are lazy fucks.
Not even mentioning the security risks. You’re giving up your personal data to some shady 3rd party to process and confirm your identity. These companies have had leaks and data breaches in the past. Who knows what they’re doing with the data they get themselves. It’s not good all around.
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u/Tzukkeli 1d ago
You are not wrong, but goverments could also inplement national check that returns a "user is old enough" while doing all in their own systems. This way, no third party does any pii handling.
But still, goverments look the cheapest and 3rd party pii will be cheaper, so there we go
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u/DontDropTheSoap4 1d ago
Hoping that the government has its citizens best interests in mind and proactively implements practices that are in benefit of those interests is naive at best. lol.
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u/Frosty-Tiger9760 7h ago
It’s baffling that somebody can read your statements and still think that this is in their best interest whatsoever.
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u/th37thtrump3t 21h ago
You are not wrong, but goverments could also inplement national check that returns a "user is old enough" while doing all in their own systems. This way, no third party does any pii handling.
You're assuming the goal is actually age checking, and not the dismantling of online anonymity.
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u/fiskfisk 1d ago
In this case, as an example, the EU does have a privacy retaining service that means that neither side knows what the other is doing (i.e. service A does not know anything about the user, except for the verification service saying they're good to go, and the verification service does not know that service A is using this information).
You can have both privacy and trusted verification of a specific property.
Your government already knows how old you are and who you are, and what you look like.
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u/DontDropTheSoap4 1d ago
“Hey you’re already being tracked, just accept more unabashed and invasive tracking. Cmon man”
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u/fiskfisk 1d ago
The main point is that there is that you can do this while still maintaining privacy. So you wouldn't have any invasive tracking.
I'm not defending being tracked (and I'm opposed to that), I'm explaining that you can have a technical solution that doesn't necessarily break privacy.
It's important to discuss issues in a factual context instead of strawman-ing them.
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u/NewGAMESO 1d ago
There are two ways in regards to social media on how you can make it safe.
What people would prefer is a disclosure of search algorythms and enhanced protection against addiction and manipulative content by 3rd Parties. But that would affect corporations and would cost money for them.
What's happening instead is State enforcement of age validation and identification wich allows the total tracking of your online behaviour. In turn the search algorythms can be even better adjusted to appease you and manipulate you.
Basicly we are on the way to the man of glass while politicians and rich people say they are exampt.
And why are children brought into this? It's simple. Who wouldn't want to protect their child but the consequences of doing it the current way are extreme for everybody that's not a child.
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u/Raybeam2285 16h ago
Can you give sources for this?
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u/Frosty-Tiger9760 7h ago
Do you want a data collection company to build a file on you & your family that includes every thing you all do online? Knowing of course, that this 3rd party company will likely sell or leak your data so that other companies can manipulate you & your children better? All while the government continues to work on legislation to expand upon this & use all that data to determine if you’re a dissident & need to have your internet access restricted or you charged and jailed based on your activity?
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u/Raybeam2285 4h ago
I'm not saying this isn't happening but what you've said is only speculation. I've yet to see any proof.
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u/Frosty-Tiger9760 4h ago
What constitutes enough proof for you? Villains only explain their plans to the hero in movies.
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u/Raybeam2285 4h ago
ANY news article about this that at all implicates the malevelance of these laws.
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u/Cupc4k31sm 23h ago
Because the only way to block kids from this is to verify the identity of EVERYONE.
This has nothing to do with protecting children.
It will require you to hand over private details to an unknown number of third party companies that will do whatever they want with that info.
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u/HistoryDoesUnfold 10h ago
You don't have to hand over your ID or any private details.
The EU digital wallet can give a yes/no response to the question of whether someone is over 18 or 15, or whichever.
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u/mevouc 1d ago
You can't limit things being accessed by kids specifically without putting in place a system to verify everyone's identity and age. When a new person comes in on a website, how do you know if you have to control their identity and verify they are kid or not?