Underage users

Can someone explain to me why Youtube/Facebook/MySpace/Bebo/etc allow a child of the age of 11 years old to create an account on their sites without even attempting to verify their age?

I realise it states to put in a DOB, but most of these kids put in a fake one. Why not FORCE verification on the user by way of credit card, etc. If a kid wants an account their parents require a c/card to be verified.

ok..

>>2
We really need to stop kids using the net and then getting in trouble! Because if we don't It'll just cause more censorship to happen against all us becuase of all the whiny parents who don't teach their kids net safety. Moot should really think about some kind of age verification on 4Chan too before this place get closed down by pissed off parents!

A number of reasons why that's not exactly a good idea. Yes, you'd dramatically reduce, if not altogether eliminate underage users on those Websites, but you'd also effectively destroy traffic to those sites as well.

Credit card verification is a bad idea. I don't even have a credit card and I'm 24, and there's others in my age group who also don't have credit cards as well, since it's terribly easy to get into debt with them even if you're responsible at balancing personal budgets. Using a Social Security number for verification since while transferring personal information over the Web securely has greatly improved, still proses a risk to people's personal information, same with a photo scanned copy of a birth certificate.

>>3
If it hasn't been shutdown by now, it probably won't ever be, except maybe from the possibility of moot and staff failing to meet obligated budget requirements to keep the site afloat.

>>5
Oh, I see.  You're the ``straight man'' on a board full of queers.  It's a viable angle, but your style needs a lot of work.

>>6
I'm sorry, what?

They should conduct a rudeness test to weed out the louts.

>>8
Brilliant idea old chap! But who would be in charge of administering it? Hmmmm... ?

Don't be so sure that >>5. With all the net censorship going on around the world now and with all the cp and other nasty things that happen on this site daily all it would take is some pissed off Christian mothers screaming think of the children to the goverment and this place would be screwed!! We need age verification here STAT!!!

>>10
Unlike Australia, the US (where 4chan's servers are located) has a First Amendment stipulation in its Constitution which states that Congress shall make no law abridging freedom of speech, press, etc. So I doubt a censorship plan would get far being that everyone from the most hardcore conservative to the most liberal progressive would be up in arms about it.

We need age verification here STAT!!!
No, no, and no. There won't even be a CAPTCHA, so forget about age verification.

>>11
Exactly. Internet censorship in the US will only get as far as ACTA, which is just corporations whining about people pirating. So really the only thing censored would be torrents with copyrighted material. It still isn't a good thing, though.

>>12
Indeed.

I bet you just want to ban underage boys from the internet really.

Why doesn't the mods ban people who claim to be underage?

>>15
they do, but they hardly see it and dynamic IPs