LogFAQs > #975145857

https://gizmodo.com/esrb-rating-face-scan-age-verification-1850674601

The Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) is seeking approval from the FTC to implement facial age estimation technology to stop kids skirting parental controls. If the industry�s self-regulating body gets its way, kids and their parents may need to get used to taking selfies to sign up for games.

In a recent application submitted by the ESRB, digital identity firm Yoti, and youth digital media company SuperAwesome, the three organizations jointly asked the FTC for approval to implement what it�s calling �Privacy-Protective Facial Age Estimation.� The proposed system would use facial age-matching technology similar to facial recognition that estimates the age of a person based on patterns in their face. If approved, the system wouldn�t replace other verification methods entirely but would rather serve as �an additional, optional verification method.�

The ESRB emphasized its commitment to privacy with the tool in a statement sent to Gizmodo. An ESRB spokesperson said the tool would not store face images after they are scanned and that the scanner cannot be used to confirm the identity of users. The ESRB does not intend to use facial age estimation to prevent children from purchasing restrictively rated games, the spokesperson added.

�First and foremost, this application is not to authorize the use of this technology with children. Full stop,� the ESRB spokesperson said. �Any images and data used for this process areneverstored, used for AI training, used for marketing, or shared with anyone.�

If not for rated M games, what would the age verification be used for?

The ESRB spokesperson said, �If a player or user is looking to sign up for a new service and they are under the age of 13, they will be prompted to provide their parent�s email address to obtain.� The parent will then receive an email and have the option to give consent for the child to create the account.

Users engaging with the facial verification system would be asked to submit a selfie which is then transformed into a set of numbers and compared against Yoti�s database of face measurements. Users then receive a yes/no result based on the system�s determination of their age. The proposed tools only let users submit live photos as a way to safeguard against kids who may try to weasel around the age gate by submitting a still photo of their parents. Photos that don�t meet the system�s �required level of quality� also aren�t accepted. The verification process, the application estimates, takes just about one second, on average, to complete.

The ESRB spokesperson says it recommended an age threshold of 25 be set �to prevent teenagers or older-looking children from pretending to be a parent.�

ew