Ask HN: Now websites ask for your Real name, ID/Passports. What's next?

[ttty2]

In the future, I think we will need to make a full background check like when you apply for a credit card to use any service. What do you think?

I'm a bit worried about this and what can we do to mitigate this problem?

Another problem is that this data will eventually get leaked (see quora today https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=18594564 ), so your real identity will be linked to everything you do online forever.

Why is it bad? You might lose a job, you might get lower credit score or you might even get more limited in life (can't buy flights, high-speed trains, hotels or travel freely...) ... just because you posted something that is not conventional or similar.

[bigiain]

I'm happy enough to avoid any service that will want ID/passport photos.

'cause we can already see "What's next" - it's a blog post that starts with "We take our customer's privacy very seriously", and then goes on to demonstrate that they did not. (Today's example is Quora. Last week's was Starwood hotels getting popped for half a billion customer records.)

[greenyoda]

> "what can we do to mitigate this problem?"

You can always refuse to use web sites that ask for personal information without a legitimate reason. If enough people do this, these sites will either change their practices or disappear.

Which web sites did you have in mind?

[ttty2 → greenyoda]

I don't personally need to use, but help in my marketing process: Facebook, Twitter, Quora and every other popular social media.

[bigiain → ttty2]

Quora. Current holder of the #1 position on HN's front page with this: https://blog.quora.com/Quora-Security-Update?share=1

Just don't. And if you have, close your account. (Not that it would have helped, it sounds like Quora "helpfully" retained user data for you "in case you wanted to reactivate your account", and that all got popped too...)

[ttty2 → bigiain]

As I've said, I use for marketing purposes, I don't personally need it. But I need it to make money. I understand that I can find a different service, but that fact I already know. I'm looking for some new ideas.