March 3, 2026
Papers, please? Internet says nope
I'm reluctant to verify my identity or age for any online services
No ID, no clicks: Readers rally for privacy over convenience
TLDR: A privacy-minded writer vows to refuse online ID checks and live without big platforms, sparking cheers from readers who see age verification as data grabs. The pushback: some services—jobs, rentals, pro tools—require verification, igniting a clash between privacy purists and realists about what’s actually avoidable.
One writer said they’d rather walk away from big platforms than hand over an ID or face scan—and the comments section practically lit a privacy bonfire. The poster’s plan is simple: self-host, use tools like Jellyfin for videos, Kiwix for offline Wikipedia, and Tor for blocked sites, even if it means skipping YouTube or lurking on Hacker News less. Cue the chorus: “This guy is reading my mind,” cheered one user, while another slammed age checks as “poorly veiled information mining.”
But the drama didn’t stop at “nope.” A sharp counterpoint landed: some things you can’t just opt out of. Renting studios, passing job background checks—real-world resources now hide behind third-party verifiers, warned one commenter. That sparked a split-screen debate: privacy purists promising to log off versus pragmatists stuck in systems where “no ID, no service” isn’t a choice.
There was humor, too. One user confessed they didn’t even read—just the title was enough. Another told a mini-horror story: a young adult casually accepting cookies and plugging in their email at every prompt, while the commenter clutched their privacy settings like a life raft. Meanwhile, the OP’s biggest pain point? Messaging apps like Signal and those unavoidable Teams/Zoom links—where saying “no” might cost work. It’s privacy ideals versus everyday life on hard mode—and everyone’s got a take.
Key Points
- •The author rejects identity or age verification for any online service and would opt out if required.
- •They favor self-hosted and offline alternatives, such as Jellyfin for media and Kiwix for Wikipedia.
- •If YouTube adopts age verification, the author would stop using it and rely on DVDs and local playback.
- •For collaborative and discussion platforms (e.g., GitLab, Hacker News), the author would disengage if verification becomes mandatory.
- •Work-related tools like Microsoft Teams or Zoom may be unavoidable due to client requirements, representing a potential exception.