ID Uploads: The Privacy Disaster Waiting to Happen

Governments are pushing age verification laws that force you to upload a passport, driver’s-licence selfie or credit-card scan just to access platforms like Reddit, X (Twitter), BlueSky or Xbox Live. I unpack why this “safety” measure is a privacy nightmare. We review the 59 GB Tea app breach that dumped women’s IDs, selfies and 1.1 million private messages online, plus the 15 billion credentials logged on Have I Been Pwned?. You’ll see how third-party vendors such as Persona store UK citizens’ data on US servers, creating cross-border exposure the moment a hacker breaks in. - Learn how centralised ID databases expand the attack surface - Understand why “1984”-style surveillance won’t protect teens—or anyone - ACTION STEP: Check your own email on HaveIBeenPwned.com #ageverification #databreach #privacy