Ash, a 20-year-old residing in the UK, succeeded in passing verification through the photo mode of “God of War” featuring the character Kratos. He was astonished that it worked due to Kratos’ unique look. Another Discord user from the UK, Antsy, had similar achievements using “Arma 3” along with a character posing mod. Antsy and his peers see circumventing this technology as a challenge and contend that the internet shouldn’t take on the role of parenting younger users.
Various video game characters from different titles have been used successfully. YouTuber beebreadtech showcased attaining an adult-age rating with “Death Stranding.” Other users on Discord have reported success with games like “Days Gone,” “Baldur’s Gate 3,” “Cyberpunk 2077,” “The Sims 4,” “Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2,” “Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic,” and “Gray Zone Warfare.” Some even utilized “Garry’s Mod.”
Discord has yet to respond to WIRED’s request for a statement.
Maimon points out the many loopholes in age verification systems. The industry is looking into solutions to address AI deepfakes and live AIs, potentially by integrating elements like phone numbers and addresses. Maimon proposes a greater reliance on historical evidence instead of checkpoints such as driver licenses and photographs.
Criminals often lead in circumventing technologies, Maimon observes. They can market videos of faces for age verification purposes, even without the use of generative AI.
Photo IDs are not infallible, as counterfeit driver licenses feature high-quality security elements.
Valid IDs present a challenge for minors. WIRED previously discussed with Roblox’s chief safety officer, Matt Kaufman, the issue of 13-year-olds lacking government-issued IDs, which is a common occurrence in North America and the United States.
