es.euronews.com
French Porn Sites' Age Verification Provider Shares Data with Amazon
A new report reveals that AgeGO, a Spanish age verification provider used by several French porn sites, shares user data including webcam streams and IP addresses with Amazon Web Services (AWS) for age verification, raising privacy concerns.
- What specific user data is being shared with Amazon by AgeGO, and what are the immediate implications?
- AgeGO, used by porn sites like Xvideos, XNXX, and Tnaflix, sends user data such as webcam streams, IP addresses, and age verification to Amazon's Rekognition service. This raises concerns about data privacy and potential misuse of sensitive information.
- What are the potential long-term consequences and necessary steps to address the issues raised by this report?
- The incident highlights broader risks of data breaches and misuse in age-verification systems. Further investigation is needed to determine the extent of data retention and Amazon's use of the data. Users should be aware and potentially seek recourse through local authorities or data controllers if concerned about their data.
- How does this data sharing practice relate to French and EU regulations on age verification and data protection?
- French regulations require age verification on porn sites via external providers, with at least one 'double anonymity' method. AgeGO's practices appear to violate this by sharing potentially unnecessary data like emails and possibly retaining data longer than the recommended 30 days, contradicting EU data protection principles.
Cognitive Concepts
Framing Bias
The article presents a balanced view of the issue, presenting both the concerns raised by AI Forensics and the responses from involved parties. However, the headline focuses on the potential privacy violation, which might prime the reader to view the situation more negatively than a more neutral headline might.
Language Bias
The language used is largely neutral and factual, reporting the findings of AI Forensics and the regulatory context. There is some use of loaded terms like "dark pattern", but this is presented as a quote from EU regulations and not an editorial judgment.
Bias by Omission
The article could benefit from including more specific details about Amazon's use of the data. While it mentions Amazon Rekognition, it doesn't explain the purpose or the safeguards Amazon employs to protect user data. The article also lacks detail on the scale of the potential issue; whether this is an isolated incident or a widespread problem.
Sustainable Development Goals
The article highlights a case where a third-party age verification provider, AgeGO, shares user data (including webcam feeds and IP addresses) with Amazon, raising concerns about data privacy and security. This practice contradicts responsible data handling principles and potentially violates user privacy rights, thus negatively impacting SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production) which promotes sustainable consumption and production patterns, including resource efficiency and waste reduction. The excessive data collection also points to irresponsible consumption of user information.