According to Early Game, the ESRB has approached the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to seek approval for this tech. ESRB has contracted tech and gaming companies Yoti and Super Awesome to accomplish this goal.
The facial recognition would simply require a basic selfie and the database should be able to estimate how old someone is.
In their letter to the FTC, the ESRB explained the process:
Facial age estimation uses computer vision and machine learning technology to estimate a person’s age based on analysis of patterns in an image of their face. The system takes a facial image, converts it into numbers, and compares those numbers to patterns in its training dataset that are associated with known ages. By contrast, facial recognition technology, which seeks to identify a specific person based on a photo, looks for unique geometric measures of the face, such as the distance and relationship among facial features, and tries to match these to an existing unique set of measurements already recorded in a database along with unique identifying information.
In Yoti’s case, the company trains its neural network model by feeding it millions of images of diverse human faces with their actual month and year of birth. The system converts the pixels of these images into mathematical functions that represent patterns. Over time, the system has learned to correlate those patterns with the known age.
When performing a new age estimation, the system extracts the portions of the image containing a face, and only those portions of the image are analyzed for matching patterns. To match patterns, each node in Yoti’s neural network performs a mathematical function on the pixel data and passes the result on to nodes in the next layer, until a number finally emerges on the other side. The only inputs are pixels of the face in the image, and the only outputs are numbers. Based on a review of the number patterns, the system creates an age estimation.
The following diagram from the Yoti White Paper illustrates this process:
Although an individual’s age may be considered an attribute of their identity, establishing the identity of an individual is not necessary to gain age assurance. Because the only data used to train the model are face images and the person’s age in months and years, the model cannot work out anything other than the person’s estimated age.
When using Privacy-Protective Facial Age Estimation, the user takes a photo of themselves (a selfie) assisted by an auto face capture module that guides the positioning of their face in frame. The system then checks whether there is a live human face in the frame and requires the image to be captured in the moment. The upload of still images is not accepted, and photos that do not meet the required level of quality to create an age estimate are rejected. These factors minimize the risk of circumvention and of children taking images of unaware adults.
The processing takes on average less than one second. For the use case of parent verification, the operator receives only a yes/no result on whether the individual in the image meets a designated age threshold. If the image does not meet the age threshold, the individual may be permitted to restart the verification process (as configured by the operator). Images are immediately, permanently deleted, and not used by Yoti for training purposes.
The letter goes on to note that the technology has an accuracy rate of 99.7%.
When asked for further comment a spokesperson for the ESRB explained,
To be perfectly clear: Any images and data used for this process are never stored, used for AI training, used for marketing, or shared with anyone; the only piece of information that is communicated to the company requesting VPC is a “Yes” or “No” determination as to whether the person is over the age of 25.
The spokesperson said
This news comes as Grand Theft Auto VI is set to release this year, anticipated as being not only one of biggest drops this year but of all-time, Jordan Maxwell reports. The GTA series is of course renowned for being violent, vulgar, and lascivious; receiving the “M for Mature 17+” rating, just short of “A for Adult 18+” which only a very slim number of games actually earn.
For Grand Theft Auto V, released in 2013, has become the world’s 3rd most best-selling videogame of all time according to IGN, second only to Tetris in 1st and Minecraft at 2nd.
The ERSB rated the game “Mature” (M 17+), because of “Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Mature Humor, Nudity, Strong Language, Strong Sexual Content, and Use of Drugs and Alcohol.” They additionally note instances of torture, prostitution, and “a brief instance of necrophilia (no nudity is depicted).”
On February 23rd, IGN reported that Chicago lawmakers proposed a bill that would ban violent video games, specifically GTA, due to a significant rise in carjackings in the Illinois city.
[HB3531] Amends the Violent Video Games Law in the Criminal Code of 2012. Changes provisions that restrict the sale or rental of violent video games to minors to prohibit the sale of all violent video games.Summary of the proposed bill
The bill would also redefine what it means to be a “violent video game,” which,
allows a user or player to control a character within the video game that is encouraged to perpetuate human-on-human violence in which the player kills or otherwise causes serious physical or psychological harm to another human or an animal.
The Electronic Software Association (ESA) told IGN they disagree with the proposal:
While our industry understands and shares the concerns about what has been happening in Chicago, there simply is no evidence of a link between interactive entertainment and real-world violence. We believe the solution to this complex problem resides in examining thoroughly the actual factors that drive such behaviors rather than erroneously ascribing blame to videogames based solely upon speculation.
Last September the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) got involved in tracking down a group of hackers to leaked early footage of the upcoming GTA VI title.
AUTHOR COMMENTARY
A man shall eat good by the fruit of his mouth: but the soul of the transgressors shall eat violence.
Proverbs 13:2
This will not solve the problem and only create a jumbled-up mess of error and glitches. The system can be so easily rigged and tricked as it only requires a picture to play. The letter to the FTC also noted that physical licenses and documents will not be necessary, so this system is guaranteed to be a joke; with kids easily tricking the system, and adults getting locked-out because of the camera’s inaccuracies.
I only mention this to discuss the trend of facial recognition and tracking for everything. I am in no way whining because I endorse playing videogames, for which I do not for a myriad of reasons.
Because of this inevitable flop and imperfection, the case for digital IDs for all and internet social credit scores will only grow, guaranteed.
The DQ Institute: The Social Credit Score To Become A Global Citizen To Use The Internet
[7] Who goeth a warfare any time at his own charges? who planteth a vineyard, and eateth not of the fruit thereof? or who feedeth a flock, and eateth not of the milk of the flock? [8] Say I these things as a man? or saith not the law the same also? [9] For it is written in the law of Moses, Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn. Doth God take care for oxen? [10] Or saith he it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written: that he that ploweth should plow in hope; and that he that thresheth in hope should be partaker of his hope. (1 Corinthians 9:7-10).
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Just a backdoor “for safety” to get everyone to comply to having facial recog. It will be like flies to a dung pile!
Basically. I remember when the Xbox Kinect came out when I was a teenager and I was so excited to play it. That thing was basically the biggest spy device at the time looking back on it.
Video games are going to be used and have already been being used for a long time to desensitize the masses to extreme violence and gore, because that is going to be very handy when the Antichrist worshippers, Antichrist police and his troops are hunting down and killing off the “heretics.”
This is also helping set up the Mark of the Beast system, mind you!
One thing I’ve noticed is that a lot of people brag about skirting around the ESRB ratings, and I don’t mean fifteen year olds playing grand theft auto about a year or two early, I mean people bragging about playing said game when they are six years old. I even came across one Youtuber who went so far as to brag about playing it when he was three, though I suspect he was stretching the truth on that one in a vain attempt to impress his audience.
Personally I don’t recommend video games either. Most people cannot restrict themselves to a half hour or so per day, and most Christians cannot keep to the games that are actually free of sinful content, ie no cussing, violence, witchcraft, ect. Not to mention that some games have sinful content that’s not exactly easy to spot at first, especially when it comes to the newly saved or the unlearned convert. The music in racing and sports games for example, some of those can be downright disturbing and yet people might not think twice about it if they are enjoying the game.
Beyond all the sinfulness in them, they are designed to be addicting on purpose. Bryan has a really good video proving that.
I remember playing Halo CE when I was just 3. The logic from my parents was, ‘Oh, he’s too young to understand what I am doing.’