FTC blocks facial analysis tech meant to verify children's ages
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The US Federal Trade Commission unanimously blocked plans to introduce "privacy-protective facial age estimation" technology that would have analyzed faces to determine a user's age.
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The technology was proposed by the Entertainment Software Rating Board, Yoti, and SuperAwesome to help enforce COPPA rules requiring parental consent for services likely to engage with under 13 users.
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The ESRB said the technology would have been used by adults giving parental permission, not by children themselves, and would not have stored photos or attempted facial recognition.
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It's unclear if and when the groups might resubmit the technology for future review.
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The FTC has not ruled on the merits of the technology one way or the other by denying this application.