Ask HN: What do you think of authentication tied to your passport?

2 points by pastaking 14y ago ↗ HN

I've seen a lot of online games in China and Korea that require users to sign up with their passport number in order to play. This seems like a great way for the government to make sure kids don't play too much.

What do you think of signing up with a passport number to online games and social networks in North America?

On one hand, it seems like a further privacy breach. At the same time, it's a good way to track down anyone with bad intentions. Thoughts?

(I have neither a Chinese nor Korean passport, so if anyone has experience with this it would be great if you can add in any detail I missed.)

2 comments

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Tzunamitom 14y ago ↗

About as much as I think of attaching electrodes to my private parts and giving the government an activation switch.

mooism2 14y ago ↗

How much do passports cost? What proportion of North Americans don't have passports?

What proportion of people signing up to social networks have bad intentions? What proportion require pseudonymity and have good intentions?