Source: https://infosec.exchange/users/isotopp/statuses/115059833470035521
Transcript
Age Verification
Due to applicable UK laws, websites must verify the age of visitors using official ID to confirm they are at least 18 years old. We are a small site and unfortunately do not have the resources to implement such a system, so we are unable to serve users in the UK.
We are not required to verify your location, so please confirm below:
[I am not in the UK] [I am in the UK]
So a company can collect copies of everyone’s ID cards.
The UK doesn’t have ID cards.
Are you sure about that?
The UK seems to have passports and drivers licenses. Screenshots from the age verification dialog boxes on websites allow you to verify your age with an ID card, because they do exist.
How are they verifying age? Which offical ID are they requiring?
Passport or drivers licence, those are the only two options here.
That’s two different forms of official ID card.
My point is that neither is an ID card per se, both are only available to a subset of the population (those who leave the country, and those who can drive), and both are significantly more expensive than a dedicated ID card would probably be.
There was a trial of a UK ID card in the 2010s. They didn’t take off. They’ve all expired now.
That’s the same as the US, then. No national card. But we all know and use our local ID and passport as ID.
We don’t even have a local ID equivalent. It royally bites.