www.washingtonpost.com Open in urlscan Pro
2.16.215.147  Public Scan

Form analysis
3 forms found in the DOM

<form class="wpds-c-gRPFSl wpds-c-gRPFSl-jGNYrR-isSlim-false">
  <div class="transition-all duration-200 ease-in-out"><button type="submit" data-qa="sc-newsletter-signup-button" class="wpds-c-kSOqLF wpds-c-kSOqLF-uTUwn-variant-primary wpds-c-kSOqLF-eHdizY-density-default wpds-c-kSOqLF-ejCoEP-icon-left">Sign
      up</button></div>
</form>

<form class="wpds-c-gRPFSl wpds-c-gRPFSl-jGNYrR-isSlim-false">
  <div class="transition-all duration-200 ease-in-out"><button type="submit" data-qa="sc-newsletter-signup-button" class="wpds-c-kSOqLF wpds-c-kSOqLF-uTUwn-variant-primary wpds-c-kSOqLF-eHdizY-density-default wpds-c-kSOqLF-ejCoEP-icon-left">Sign
      up</button></div>
</form>

<form class="w-100 left" id="registration-form" data-qa="regwall-registration-form-container" novalidate="">
  <div>
    <div data-testid="input-text-container" class="wpds-c-jwIEZH wpds-c-jwIEZH-iPJLV-css">
      <div class="wpds-c-cgcUHx"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 16 16" fill="currentColor" aria-hidden="true" focusable="false" role="img" class="wpds-c-fBqPWp ">
          <path d="M1 3v10h14V3Zm12.19 1L8 8.32 2.81 4ZM2 12V4.63l6 5 6-5V12Z"></path>
        </svg></div>
      <div class="wpds-c-iQOSPq"><span role="label" id="radix-:r1:" class="wpds-c-bROtJV wpds-c-iJWmNK">Enter email address</span><input id="registration-email-id" type="email" aria-invalid="false" name="registration-email"
          data-qa="regwall-registration-form-email-input" data-private="true" class="wpds-c-djFMBQ wpds-c-djFMBQ-iPJLV-css" value="" aria-labelledby="radix-:r1:"></div>
    </div>
  </div>
  <div class="dn">
    <div class="db mt-xs mb-xs "><span role="label" id="radix-:r2:" class="wpds-c-bROtJV"><span class="db font-xxxs gray-darker pt-xxs pb-xxs gray-dark" style="padding-top: 1px;"><span>By selecting "Start reading," you agree to The Washington Post's
            <a target="_blank" style="color:inherit;" class="underline" href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/information/2022/01/01/terms-of-service/">Terms of Service</a> and
            <a target="_blank" style="color:inherit;" class="underline" href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/privacy-policy/">Privacy Policy</a>.</span></span></span>
      <div class="db gray-dark relative flex pt-xxs pb-xxs items-start gray-darker"><span role="label" id="radix-:r3:" class="wpds-c-bROtJV wpds-c-jDXwHV"><button type="button" role="checkbox" aria-checked="false" data-state="unchecked" value="on"
            id="mcCheckbox" data-testid="mcCheckbox" class="wpds-c-gDyjhx wpds-c-gDyjhx-bnVAXI-size-125 wpds-c-gDyjhx-kFjMjo-cv wpds-c-gDyjhx-ikKWKCv-css" aria-labelledby="radix-:r3:"></button><input type="checkbox" aria-hidden="true" tabindex="-1"
            value="on" style="transform: translateX(-100%); position: absolute; pointer-events: none; opacity: 0; margin: 0px; width: 0px; height: 0px;"><span class="wpds-c-bFeFXz"><span class="relative db gray-darker" style="padding-top: 2px;"><span
                class="relative db font-xxxs" style="padding-top: 1px;"><span>The Washington Post may use my email address to provide me occasional special offers via email and through other platforms. I can opt out at any
                  time.</span></span></span></span></span></div>
    </div>
  </div>
  <div id="subs-turnstile-hook" data-test-id="regform" class="wpds-c-eerOeF center"></div><button data-qa="regwall-registration-form-cta-button" type="submit"
    class="wpds-c-kSOqLF wpds-c-kSOqLF-hDKJFr-variant-cta wpds-c-kSOqLF-eHdizY-density-default wpds-c-kSOqLF-ejCoEP-icon-left wpds-c-kSOqLF-ikFyhzm-css w-100 mt-sm"><span>Start reading</span></button>
</form>

Text Content

Accessibility statementSkip to main content

Democracy Dies in Darkness
SubscribeSign in
TechHelp Desk Artificial Intelligence Internet Culture Space Tech Policy
TechHelp Desk Artificial Intelligence Internet Culture Space Tech Policy


A BOOMING INDUSTRY OF AI AGE SCANNERS, AIMED AT CHILDREN’S FACES

“Age assurance” checks are increasingly popular among lawmakers trying to wall
kids off from the open internet. But they rely on a style of surveillance that
ranges “from ‘somewhat privacy violating’ to ‘authoritarian nightmare.’”

13 min
114

Key takeaways

Summary is AI-generated, newsroom-reviewed.

 * Tech companies are soliciting photos of kids’ faces to train their
   age-verification software.
 * Many states are trying to keep kids off some online sites by mandating the
   use of age-check tools.
 * Critics say the massive collection of personal data risks being hacked,
   leaked or misused.

Did our AI help? Share your thoughts.

(Chiara Xie/For The Washington Post)
By Drew Harwell
August 7, 2024 at 5:57 a.m. EDT

In 2021, parents in South Africa with children between the ages of 5 and 13 were
offered an unusual deal. For every photo of their child’s face, a London-based
artificial intelligence firm would donate 20 South African rands, about $1, to
their children’s school as part of a campaign called “Share to Protect.”


Share
114 Comments

NewsletterAs news breaks
Tech News Alerts
Breaking news email alerts on technology and the tech industry.
Sign up

Subscribe to comment and get the full experience. Choose your plan →



NewsletterAs news breaks
Tech News Alerts
Breaking news email alerts on technology and the tech industry.
Sign up
Company
About The Post Newsroom Policies & Standards Diversity & Inclusion Careers Media
& Community Relations WP Creative Group Accessibility Statement Sitemap
Get The Post
Become a Subscriber Gift Subscriptions Mobile & Apps Newsletters & Alerts
Washington Post Live Reprints & Permissions Post Store Books & E-Books Today’s
Paper Public Notices
Contact Us
Contact the Newsroom Contact Customer Care Contact the Opinions Team Advertise
Licensing & Syndication Request a Correction Send a News Tip Report a
Vulnerability
Terms of Use
Digital Products Terms of Sale Print Products Terms of Sale Terms of Service
Privacy Policy Cookie Settings Submissions & Discussion Policy RSS Terms of
Service Ad Choices
washingtonpost.com © 1996-2024 The Washington Post
 * washingtonpost.com
 * © 1996-2024 The Washington Post
 * About The Post
 * Contact the Newsroom
 * Contact Customer Care
 * Request a Correction
 * Send a News Tip
 * Report a Vulnerability
 * Download the Washington Post App
 * Policies & Standards
 * Terms of Service
 * Privacy Policy
 * Cookie Settings
 * Print Products Terms of Sale
 * Digital Products Terms of Sale
 * Submissions & Discussion Policy
 * Sitemap
 * RSS Terms of Service
 * Ad Choices

5.22.7





Already have an account? Sign in

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


TWO WAYS TO READ THIS ARTICLE:

Create an account
Free
 * Access this article

Enter email address
By selecting "Start reading," you agree to The Washington Post's Terms of
Service and Privacy Policy.
The Washington Post may use my email address to provide me occasional special
offers via email and through other platforms. I can opt out at any time.

Start reading
Subscribe
€2every 4 weeks
 * Unlimited access to all articles
 * Save stories to read later

Subscribe




WE CARE ABOUT YOUR PRIVACY

We and our 43 partners store and/or access information on a device, such as
unique IDs in cookies to process personal data. You may accept or manage your
choices by clicking below, including your right to object where legitimate
interest is used, or at any time in the privacy policy page. These choices will
be signaled to our partners and will not affect browsing data.

If you click “I accept,” in addition to processing data using cookies and
similar technologies for the purposes to the right, you also agree we may
process the profile information you provide and your interactions with our
surveys and other interactive content for personalized advertising.

If you do not accept, we will process cookies and associated data for strictly
necessary purposes and process non-cookie data as set forth in our Privacy
Policy (consistent with law and, if applicable, other choices you have made).


WE AND OUR PARTNERS PROCESS COOKIE DATA TO PROVIDE:

Actively scan device characteristics for identification. Create profiles for
personalised advertising. Use profiles to select personalised advertising.
Create profiles to personalise content. Use profiles to select personalised
content. Measure advertising performance. Measure content performance.
Understand audiences through statistics or combinations of data from different
sources. Develop and improve services. Store and/or access information on a
device. Use limited data to select content. Use limited data to select
advertising. List of Partners (vendors)

I Accept Reject All Show Purposes