𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗙𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝗿 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗜𝗗: 𝗧𝗲𝘅𝗮𝘀 𝗪𝗮𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗕𝗼𝘁𝗵
Texas Senate Bill 2420 is now at the Supreme Court. This law changes how people download apps.
Instead of checking age inside an app, the law wants a biometric checkpoint at the operating system level. You might need a facial scan or a government ID just to download a weather app.
This shift creates two technical problems for developers.
First, there is a gap between facial estimation and facial comparison.
Texas wants facial age estimation to protect privacy. Age estimation is a guess. It uses probabilistic models to predict an age range. These models often fail because they use biased data. Research shows higher error rates for Black, Asian, and Indigenous faces. If the model guesses wrong, adult users lose access to basic tools.
Facial comparison is different. It uses math to measure the similarity between two specific images. It is a factual process used in law enforcement. Age estimation is still a guessing game.
Second, this creates a massive security risk.
If users do not want to scan their faces, they must upload a government ID. This gives hackers and state actors a huge target for identity theft. Developers face a hard choice:
- Use third-party APIs that add cost and slow down the app.
- Store sensitive documents and risk massive data breaches.
Data shows 70% of users quit when an app asks for an ID. High error rates and user friction will kill your app growth.
We must decide if we want to build our digital world on probabilistic guesses.
Have you implemented age-gating in your apps? Did you use self-declaration, ID uploads, or biometric APIs?
Source: https://dev.to/caracomp/your-face-or-your-id-texas-wants-both-before-you-download-a-weather-app-4mk8
Optional learning community: https://t.me/GyaanSetuAi