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Comment by formerly_proven | Hacker News Reader

> Title seems misleading, it can download it as long as you provide logged in account info

... assuming that you have provided YouTube with a scan of your ID card to prove that you are 18+ ...

"assuming that you have provided YouTube with a scan of your ID card"

I expect that at some point you'll have to prove your identity to use youtube at all, because its in Google's interest to know as much as possible about its users.

Youtube will also probably turn in to a pay-to-view service at some point. They already dominate the video space, and their network effects are enormous, and a huge number of people will pay to continue to get access to that.

Google needs trust to be pay-to-view. These anti-user practices will further erode their trust, not increase it.

It's definitely not in Google's interest to require an action as awkward and engagement-killing as ID verification. They work very hard to not take such drastic steps.

Such requirements are being driven by governments who don't care at all about user convenience, only extending their control over people whilst blaming the private sector for "making" them do it.

...only in some jurisdictions where it's required by law.

It's not required in my country and I get the checks. This has nothing to do with legislation.

When you say "get the checks" do you mean YouTube is asking for a copy of your ID or that it's giving you the regular age gate check?

I can't confirm without knowing what country you live in. I understand essentially the whole EU requires this, and the US is one example where the checks aren't required.

How would you confirm though? So far I'm seeing a lot of rumors but no one seems have produced any actual legislation that I can see anyway.

This is covered by the Audiovisual Media Services Directive 2018/1808. EU member states were supposed to transpose this into national legislation by 19 September 2020, but not all have.

You can see the status for each EU member state here:

https://www.obs.coe.int/en/web/observatoire/avmsd-tracking

Do you get the check that you need any account, or the check that you specifically need an account with ID verification?

Please say which country you're referring to when you say "in my country" on the internet. It allows others to contextualize and verify otherwise useless information.

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