Standard: What's the standard anyway?

Roblox's Age Checks: A Privacy Nightmare Wrapped in Good Intentions

Alright, so Roblox is now demanding facial age checks to access chat. Great. Just what we needed – another tech company sticking its nose where it doesn't belong.

The "Safety" Smokescreen

They're calling it a "gold standard for communication safety." Oh, please. As if forcing kids to scan their faces is going to stop predators. It's like putting a Band-Aid on a gunshot wound. The predators will find a way around it, they always do. Are we really supposed to believe that some algorythm is going to make a difference?

And the privacy implications? Don't even get me started. "Images and video are deleted immediately after processing," they claim. Sure, and I've got a bridge to sell you. Once that data is out there, it's out there. Hackers, leaks, government overreach – the possibilities for abuse are endless. We're handing over biometric data to a platform primarily used by children. What could possibly go wrong?

This whole thing screams of PR damage control after years of, let's be real, negligence when it comes to protecting its users. Now they're scrambling to look like the good guys. Give me a break.

The Inevitable Data Breach

Let's be real for a second. It's not a matter of if Roblox gets hacked, it's when. Every company gets hacked eventually. And when that happens, all that lovely facial recognition data is going to be floating around the dark web. Kids' faces, ages, potentially linked to their accounts... it's a pedophile's dream come true.

How many times do we have to see these data breaches happen before we learn our lesson? Equifax, Target, Sony, the list goes on and on. But no, let's just keep blindly trusting these tech companies with our most sensitive information.

I bet their stock price will go up offcourse.

Honda's "Improved" Pilot: Who Cares?

(Okay, complete tangent here, but I just saw an ad for the new Honda Pilot. "Improved driving experience, more standard technology." Seriously? Who the hell cares about a slightly bigger touchscreen when our privacy is being eroded every damn day? End rant.)

"Age-Appropriate Experiences": A Joke

Roblox claims this is about providing "age-appropriate experiences." What a load of bull. It's about control. It's about segmenting users, serving them targeted ads, and squeezing every last dollar out of them. They don't give a damn about what's "appropriate." They care about profit.

They say users will only be allowed to chat with others in similar age groups. So, what, are we creating digital age ghettos now? Isolating kids from different perspectives and experiences? Sounds healthy.

Then again, maybe I'm the crazy one here. Maybe I'm overreacting. But something about this whole thing just feels deeply wrong.

Another Brick in the Surveillance Wall