Age Verification Verification :)

[Cinnamon Lohner 946]

Being an old avatar and a former contributor to the Answers forum, I got caught up in a group discussion answering this question: "How can one tell if someone is truly an adult (over 20) in SL?"  My answer was that they could simply go to an Adult sim with that person and if they can't get in, they are not age verified and not an adult.  That when I got sideswiped and discovered that LL no longer has an age verification process for Adult access except for the person entering their birthday upon account creation.

So a couple questions.  Is there any real verification that the person entered the correct birthday?  Or is it the basic honor system LL had that was easily cheated?    Is age verification done at all for the Gaming regions?  or is that also an honor system deal?

Thx!

--Cinn

[Rolig Loon 13,955]

That's a good question, Cinn.  In any organization, there has to be a balance between reduction of risk and effective use of resources.  It would simply take too much expensive manpower to verify every single resident's age. The return on the effort would not be worth the expense.  It makes more sense to do random spot checks or do specific checks when there are other reasons to suspect something is wrong.  If I were an underage resident, I would work on the assumption that if I am required to present verifiable information, it better be correct.   After all, I have no way of knowing how often Linden Lab might do a random check, or exactly what action on my part might trigger one.  And Linden Lab isn't going to tell me.  Think:  the risk to them if they don't catch me is negligible.  The risk to me if they do catch me is a permanent ban.

Edited Monday at 05:43 AM by Rolig Loon

[Rolig Loon 13,955]

Hi, Cinn!   Long time no post. 

Age verification vanished in about 2011.  I suppose it was just too easy to game.  At this point, Linden Lab trusts that people know their own birthdays and are honest enough to state them correctly when they join.  It's my understanding, though, that they do occasional spot checks on residents who have attracted attention by doing naughty things, or if someone files an AR with reasonable evidence that you might be underage.

BTW, "adult" is over 18, not 20.

Edited Monday at 03:26 AM by Rolig Loon

[Lindal Kidd 5,372]

Rolig is correct.  I have reported a couple of people who admitted to me in chat or IM that they were underage...and I haven't seen them around any more, so even though "underage for SL" no longer appears on the AR list of offenses, I think LL is still enforcing it if it's called to their attention.  And a darn good thing too...one girl I reported told me she was 10!

[Cinnamon Lohner 946]

What about the Gaming Regions?  They specifically require current billing information for access and state that you must be 19 or older.  Do they not use the billing information/credit card  to verify age?  Or do they simply use the existing account information?

Thx!

[Lindal Kidd 5,372]

They use the account information you provided, same-same.  I do not think that credit card companies provide customer ages to merchants.  I guess they figure that if some indulgent parents gave their 14 year old her own credit card, it's not their problem.