The worry of minors coming across porn content has persisted since the first of such videos popped up online. Though the websites often ask if the user is at least n years old, there is virtually no mechanism in place till now to verify the same.
Australia‘s Department of Home Affairs seems to have found a solution. The department recommended checking ages by scanning porn viewers’ faces with the aid of a camera. The scanned image would further be cross-checked with driving license or other identifying documents which the department already has on file in order to ascertain if the person is of legal age to be watching porn.
“Home Affairs is developing a Face Verification Service which matches a person’s photo against images used on one of their evidence of identity documents to help verify their identity,” the government agency wrote in a submission.
“This could assist in age verification, for example by preventing a minor from using their parent’s driver licence to circumvent age verification controls,” the Department wrote to a parliamentary inquiry into age verification for online pornography and gambling.
It remains to be seen if the Australian government goes ahead with the process.
