ChatGPT started asking users to confirm their identity with their passport if they suspected the user was under 18 years old. This was reported by the news portal Habr.
Until verification is complete, access to discussion on topics marked as “adult” will be restricted. In some cases, requests appeared even from adult users – one of them said that verification was needed, despite the fact that he was 30 years old.
OpenAI confirmed that the feature is being rolled out gradually and is currently being tested primarily in English-speaking regions. According to the company, the purpose of the innovation is to comply with age restrictions and increase protection of minors from potentially inappropriate content.
The company emphasizes that the processing of passport data is built with security requirements in mind: the information is transmitted in encrypted form and is used only for age confirmation, not for storing documents in clear form.
Audience reaction was mixed. Some users support this initiative as a logical step in the field of digital security and compliance with regulatory requirements. However, another section of the community criticized the redundant mechanism and false positives when adult users were accidentally restricted.
OpenAI has clarified that the current version of the verification is only experimental. The company is analyzing feedback and considering alternative age verification methods, including the use of bank cards and electronic digital identifiers.
