PSA: Rockstar may be implementing age/identity verification in the near future

[maybegreat48]

The latest update adds some (currently unused) endpoints that will be used for "age assurance." Through further testing by a friend, we found out that the age assurance service would likely require you to scan a QR code on your mobile device and upload selfies of yourself or provide legal documentation. Note that all this is purely hypothetical since nothing currently relies on this process and the endpoints haven't been activated yet. This might only be enabled for certain regions where age verification is mandatory, or only for certain features such as chat, or perhaps not be used at all. These are the endpoints if you're curious; you can use a reverse engineering tool to find the parameters and see what the game does with it

AgeAssurance.asmx/CreateSession
AgeAssurance.asmx/PlayerStatus
AgeAssurance.asmx/Query
AgeAssurance.asmx/Cancel

[Deadlineem]

Interesting, I wonder what they will be doing with it, and wonder also if we can utilize it for certain "age restricted" options (if any are ever added)

[FIying-Scotsman]

I assume this is related to the UK/Australia's age checking law ("Online Safety Act" in the UK) to prevent minors "accessing harmful content" which is funny because a lot of kids play GTA (and COD) so this is going to have a noticeable impact on player numbers if they start blocking < 18s (and it's unlikely parents are going to go through the age checking process on behalf of their kids).

Unfortunately it also does double duty - if you want to play GTA for example they could force an age verification before you can play. Now if your account is banned and you make a new one, they'll prompt you to check your age and notice the same face(s). What they do after that is up to them (ban the account immediately for example).

Given it's using a phone, it'll probably be using the same system banks use when making accounts - i.e you can't just hold up a picture or wear a mask and it can tell if you're wearing glasses or face coverings. It's not easy to hide from which has unfortunately created a market of account-mules who knowingly sign up for accounts on mass so they can be used in fraud.

[maybegreat48]

Given it's using a phone, it'll probably be using the same system banks use when making accounts - i.e you can't just hold up a picture or wear a mask and it can tell if you're wearing glasses or face coverings.

How about placing it in front of a television? Or using a rooted/jailbroken device and injecting video frames into the camera? Most of these age assurance apps also offer a government ID verification method, which is much more easier to spoof (albeit illegal)

Now if your account is banned and you make a new one, they'll prompt you to check your age and notice the same face(s)

Most third-parties don't offer this yet. So unless they're going in house I think we're fine

if you want to play GTA for example they could force an age verification before you can play

The code also suggests they have the ability to selectively disable certain features when the assurance fails, such as chat, as well as completely block you from playing the game

[tupoy-ya]

This makes me want to make a custom GTA Online server.

[CrazyCSIW6]

I'm so sick of this dystopian shit

[StheCat]

I'm sure there are several US states that would love to enforce age restrictions to the Vanilla Unicorn and Diamond Casino - or even the entire game if you live in Leonida Florida.