Google and Its Age Verification System: Will There Be a FAES Off?

December 18, 2023

This essay is the work of a dumb dinobaby. No smart software required.

Just in time for the holidays! Google’s user age verification system is ready for 2024. “Google Develops Selfie Scanning Software Ahead of Porn Crackdown” reports:

Google has developed face-scanning technology that would block children from accessing adult websites ahead of a crackdown on online porn. An artificial intelligence system developed by the web giant for estimating a person’s age based on their face has quietly been approved in the UK.

Thanks, MSFT Copilot. A good enough eyeball with a mobile phone, a pencil, a valise, stealthy sneakers, and data.

Facial recognition, although widely used in some countries, continues to make some people nervous. But in the UKL, the Google method will allow the UK government to obtain data to verify one’s age. The objective is to stop those who are younger than 18 from viewing “adult Web sites.”

The story reveals:

[Google] says the technology is 99.9pc reliable in identifying that a photo of an 18-year-old is under the age of 25. If users are believed to be under the age of 25, they could be asked to provide additional ID.

The phrase used to describe the approach is “face age estimation system.”

The cited newspaper article points out:

It is unclear what Google plans to use the system for. It could use it within its own services, such as YouTube and the Google Play app download store, or build it into its Chrome web browser to allow websites to verify that visitors are over 18.

Google is not the only outfit using facial recognition to allegedly reduce harm to individuals. Facebook and OnlyFans, according to the write up are already deploying similar technology.

The news story says:

It is unclear what privacy protections Google would apply to the system.

I wonder what interesting insights would be available if data from the FAES were cross cross correlated with other information. That might have value to advertisers and possibly other commercial or governmental entities.

Stephen E Arnold, December 18, 2023

Written by Stephen E. Arnold · Filed Under AI, Government, News

Comments

Comments are closed.

Search the site
Subscribe to Beyond Search
Feature archive
News archive

Stephen E. Arnold monitors search, content processing, text mining and related topics from his high-tech nerve center in rural Kentucky. He tries to winnow the goose feathers from the giblets. He works with colleagues worldwide to make this Web log useful to those who want to go "beyond search". Contact him at sa [at] arnoldit.com. His Web site with additional information about search is arnoldit.com.