Em 

Anyone who is about to complete, or already has completed, an age-verification or identity-verification process online should read this short article.

Especially if it's on LinkedIn or Discord.

"I Verified My LinkedIn Identity. Here's What I Actually Handed Over." by @thelocalstack
https://thelocalstack.eu/posts/linkedin-identity-verification-privacy/

#Privacy #LinkedIn #Discord #AgeVerification #IdentityVerification #MassSurveillance

Feb 20 at 5:35pmWeb
Show threadEpic NullFeb 20

@Em0nM4stodon One slight comment:

by any future president

I would include the present predident in this.

Show threadZaͩnͦsͤt̀́rͤa̅̆̈Feb 20

@Em0nM4stodon Things verification can also be done in another manner, with a digital wallet, like Yivi.

(LinkedIn isn't using that, and that sucks. But I often hear that things like age-verification are a threat. But it's how we organize things)

https://yivi.app/en/

Yivi - Your digital identity in one app

Yivi is de privacyvriendelijke ID-app waarmee je veilig inlogt, gegevens deelt en bewijst wie je bent. Wachtwoordloos, veilig en altijd in controle. All You. All yours.

Yivi
Show threadAnneHFeb 20
@Em0nM4stodon Peter Thiel. Any guarantee the data in Persona doesn't get passed to Palantir?
Show threadSamuelJohnsonFeb 20
@Em0nM4stodon @thelocalstack Thanks for this. It's as depressing as it unsurprising. A useful public service.
Show threadKathartaFeb 20
@Em0nM4stodon @thelocalstack Viewed under the light that ICE makes extensive use of facial recognition apps, this is deeply troubling.
Show threadTaran RampersadFeb 20

@Em0nM4stodon @thelocalstack Posted to LinkedIn.

Because. 🙃

Show threadEm Feb 20
@knowprose @thelocalstack 👍
Show threadAlex S.Feb 20

@Em0nM4stodon @thelocalstack @doekman @FurryBeta @knowprose @annehargreaves

In Europe there is an alternative that verifies your ID better *and* is data minimizing.

Most European ID-Cards have a cryptographic chip that enables verification of identity via a NFC-coupled Smartphone-App.

What is special: You can select in the App which info to give away. Only age, only lastname, only address, etc.

Identity provider is the state and in Germany the App is open source, called #AusweisApp.

Show threadTaran RampersadFeb 20

@alex_mastodon @Em0nM4stodon @thelocalstack @doekman @FurryBeta @annehargreaves What is probably the most interesting to me is the sudden interest in 'age verification' or any other verification.

These websites and services survived all these years without them. Then 'bots' showed up, and they didn't bother that much with it at all - X is a great example, as is anything Meta, as is LinkedIn.

What they had a problem with was when #ai showed up and collapsed the field.

Show threadGF493DFeb 20
@knowprose @alex_mastodon @Em0nM4stodon @thelocalstack @doekman @FurryBeta @annehargreaves it's not sudden. It's just an excuse. Creeping closer and close 2ward yet more ID. Until it's irremovable.
Show threadTaran RampersadFeb 20

@GF493D @alex_mastodon @Em0nM4stodon @thelocalstack @doekman @FurryBeta @annehargreaves I won't disagree.

I will note that authoritarianism is on the rise, which fits your argument, and the correlation that I pointed out may not be causation.

Maybe AI has little to do with it. But looking through all the companies involved with the verification in the original post, AI is at least involved.

I don't know. What I do know is that the effect sucks.

Show threadGF493DFeb 21
@knowprose @alex_mastodon @Em0nM4stodon @thelocalstack @doekman @FurryBeta @annehargreaves Try 2 avoid becoming either a Shaper or a Mechanist.
Show threadTaran RampersadFeb 21
@GF493D @alex_mastodon @Em0nM4stodon @thelocalstack @doekman @FurryBeta @annehargreaves extremism is ever the problem. But not mine. 🤣
Show threadPendell 🔜 TFFFeb 20
@alex_mastodon Americans are so resistant to a federal ID they would rather just let their identities get stolen every 3 months forever
Show threadAlex S.Feb 20

It is cryptographically secure and as a second factor you have to enter a code which unlocks the NFC chips. It is a short numerical PIN-Code because the chip deactivates after a few wrong attemps.
Downside is: You have to get to the public office for reactivation.

Unfortunately wider adoption of that service is hindered by the arrogance of authorities letting you jump through burning hoops to use it as a service provider.

Have a look at the App:
https://f-droid.org/packages/com.governikus.ausweisapp2
(2/2)

AusweisApp | F-Droid - Free and Open Source Android App Repository

ePerso mit dem Handy nutzen

Show threadExit Code 1Feb 21
@alex_mastodon Does it work if you're in Europe but outside Germany?
Show threadSybren A. StüvelFeb 20
@Em0nM4stodon @thelocalstack oooof this is scary!
Show threadSilo 🇺🇸🤝🇺🇦Feb 21

@Em0nM4stodon @thelocalstack
LinkedIn is awful. I had to verify my ID and I really really didn't want to. But it's a requirement in the job market. There's no option otherwise.

And it's like, ok you "can't discriminate based on race sex etc" when hiring but you can demand to see people's linkedin which is the same thing?

So awful.

Show threadv1rulenc3Feb 21
@Em0nM4stodon @thelocalstack I could also recommend reading this blog post. It gives some technical and very interesting information. https://vmfunc.re/blog/persona/
the watchers: how openai, the US government, and persona built an identity surveillance machine that files reports on you to the feds

53MB of source code leaked from a government endpoint. 269 verification checks. biometric face databases. SAR filings to FinCEN. and the same company that verifies your ChatGPT account.

vmfunc.re
Show threadxrvsFeb 21

@Em0nM4stodon @thelocalstack

You scanned your European passport for a European professional network

how is linkedin european anyways? 

Show threadThierry ! ⏚Feb 21
@Em0nM4stodon @thelocalstack relayé... Sur LinkedIn
Show threadviharmFeb 21

@Em0nM4stodon @thelocalstack

Not only is it amazing that you shared your experience, but is a well written article. People take for granted what they now know after reading something like without having to go through it themselves.

Thanks for sharing.

Show threadTaran RampersadFeb 21

@Em0nM4stodon @thelocalstack just saw this as well... name looked familiar.

https://www.malwarebytes.com/blog/news/2026/02/age-verification-vendor-persona-left-frontend-exposed

Age verification vendor Persona left frontend exposed, researchers say

Behind a basic age check, researchers say Persona’s system runs extensive identity, watchlist, and adverse-media screening.

Malwarebytes