Latest news with #Persona
Tom's Guide
2 hours ago
- Tom's Guide
The top 3 cybersecurity risks posed by the Online Safety Act
On July 25, 2025, the Online Safety Act went into effect in the UK. This new law means that UK residents will have to verify their age in order to access content deemed inappropriate for minors by the Office of Communications (OFCOM). This has led to a huge spike in UK residents searching for the best VPNs in order to circumvent these restrictions and avoid sharing their personal information. The law has required many sites and apps, including social media sites, to enforce age verification through a number of different ways. However, this has raised a number of concerns around data privacy and safety, especially the cybersecurity risks posed by third parties processing sensitive information. Here, we take a look at some of the risks that may be posed by third-party age verification services. NordVPN – our top-rated VPN overallWe've tested dozens of VPNs, and on balance, we think NordVPN is the best choice for most people. It's fast, can unblock sites, has tons of servers around the world, and offers solid, audited privacy credentials. Tom's Guide readers can claim an exclusive four months free, bringing the price down to £2.31 / $2.91 per month on the two-year plan. If you subscribe to higher tiers, you'll get an Amazon gift card of up to £50 / $50, and there's a 30-day refund period. Many UK citizens have questioned the safety of uploading either their likeness or a copy of their government ID (e.g. passport or driver's license) in order to access blocked sites or content on apps. Many are concerned about the potential ramifications of this information being stolen in a data breach. The personal information available on an ID card is very valuable to hackers, and could be sold for a large amount of money on the dark web. If a third-party was hacked, and copies of users' identification were stolen, this could have huge repercussions for all those involved. The main concerns are, of course, identity theft and fraud. If a hacker gained access to a copy of someone's passport or driving license, they could do a number of nefarious things, including opening bank accounts in your name, applying for loans and credit cards, and even create fake IDs using your details. This can have huge ramifications for the victim, including impacting their credit score and having crimes committed in their names. Unfortunately, the onus is on the companies and sites employing the third-party services and the third-party services themselves to make sure they are as secure as possible, and that users' personal information is as protected as possible. In order to comply with the new age verification laws, many companies have introduced age verification via third-party services. For example, social media site Reddit has employed the use of Persona. However, many of the third-party companies that are being used to comply with the Online Safety Act are actually based in the US, which has worrying implications for the UK data stored by them. This is because, under the Patriot Act, these companies could be compelled to give the data they hold to the US government. To combat this, companies must censor and/or delete the information used to verify a person's age. For example, Persona has said that it will not store ID verification data for longer than 7 days. This is similar to how Private Internet Access, a well-respected US-based VPN, upholds its user privacy by simply not recording or storing any user data. While it does publish quarterly reports of all the information requests it has received, the reports show that it has not shared any information with the US government – after all, it cannot release any data it does not have. With this being said, Persona and its data protection practices does not represent all of the third-party verification companies being used to verify users' ages. This means that other companies could hold users' data for a lot longer than 7 days, meaning that they would have more data to surrender if the US government asks for it. This is obviously problematic considering the sensitive nature of the data that they will have access to. Last year, I wrote on a new sextortion scam which combined real data stolen from data leaks and/or breaches with an intentionally anxiety-fuelling script in order to convince victims that they had to pay up or risk intimate pictures and details being leaked to their entire contact list. Of course, hackers did not actually have access to these pictures or details, and instead were relying on victims having limited knowledge on what certain types of malware can actually do. However, with these new age verification laws requiring users to upload pictures of themselves or their government ID, scammers could easily take advantage of this and put together an even scarier script. If you had used an age verification system to access an adult website, it would suddenly become far more plausible that your data had been accessed, meaning you may be more likely to believe the lies sent to you by scammers. This would be even more believable if the scammers had access to information that could plausibly be on your government ID stolen from other data breaches or leaks. However, it's important to remember that third-party verification means that your account data is not shared with the verification service, and your ID data is not shared with the site you're attempting to access. So, if scammers are claiming they have linked the two, this is a lie. We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example: 1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service). 2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad. We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.
Time of India
7 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Death Stranding photo mode helps users to sneak past UK age rules on Discord
(Image via Kojima Productions) The UK has enforced the new Online Safety Act. In the wake of it, the gamers seem to have stumbled upon the unexpected workaround. As per reports, using Death Stranding 2: On the Beach's photo mode allows players to pass the facial verification on platforms like Discord. It might sound bizarre, but truly, it's working. Such a clever workaround, though, is raising questions not just about the tech, but even about how we define age verification within the digital world. Death Stranding 2: On the Beach digital workaround outwits the facial age scans Death Stranding 2: On the Beach has become one of the unlikely tools for age verification bypass in the United Kingdom. With the Online Safety Act now in force in the country, platforms like Reddit and Discord have implemented stricter age-verification checks. But it didn't take much time for the users to find a loophole. Dany Sterkhov, a user on X, was the first to demonstrate how the high-fidelity video game photo mode of Death Stranding 2 can trick the facial recognition technology. While pointing the camera at Sam Porter Bridges, in the photo mode of the game, users can successfully pass the age verification of Discord. It was, though, not the only case. There are many others who have replicated this result with utmost ease. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Villas For Sale in Dubai Might Surprise You Villas in Dubai | Search Ads Get Info Undo Why does the Death Stranding 2 photo mode work for age verification? The age verification on Discord, which is powered by the k-ID system, has promoted users for performing just some basic actions, like closing/opening their mouths. The Death Stranding 2 photo mode allows users to animate Sam's face with another level of realism. This means that even some dynamic verification prompts, like turning the head or moving the lips, can be easily met by the use of game settings. Reddit, which uses a different service (Persona), even failed to distinguish between an in-game model and a real human. It was only Bluesky that uses a much more robust system of Yoti was able to successfully flag the attempts of users. Though for many, Reddit and Discord remained the primary targets, and they were able to fool the system in just seconds. Is this a clever bypass or a concerning loophole? What makes the entire workaround here so striking is not just the simplicity of the process but also its implications. The law in the UK demands robust verification to protect minors. Yet, just a smartphone camera and a PlayStation game were enough to satisfy the verification requirement. The entire verification method does not just avoid uploading personal IDs or selfies but also hints at how easily current tech can be fooled. While the VPNs definitely are another method here, the Death Stranding 2 bypass does not need any downloads, payments or users to know about the tech know-how. Its complete simplicity might appeal to privacy-conscious users, but it even calls into question the broader strategy of UK law and its effectiveness. If asked, what's next, quite likely the platforms will be required to either improve tech or go ahead and rethink their entire approach; after all, if they do not, they will be facing fines of up to $24.2 million or 10% of the global revenue (whichever is higher). As of now, Death Stranding 2 has offered much more than just a haunting narrative. It has become a part of the real-world debate on privacy concerns, identity and even the AI-based enforcement limits. Catch Rani Rampal's inspiring story on Game On, Episode 4. Watch Here!
Express Tribune
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
Death Stranding 2 can now be used to bypass age verification after Online Safety Act: here's how
A recent discovery has revealed that Death Stranding's photo mode can easily bypass the UK's newly enforced age verification systems, affecting platforms like Reddit and Discord. This follows the implementation of the UK's online safety regulations, which began requiring age checks on various sites from Friday, July 25. According to The Verge, the trick was first brought to light by Dany Sterkhov, who shared the method of using Death Stranding's in-game photo mode to bypass facial scanning systems. By activating the photo mode and pointing a phone camera at the screen, users can use Sam Bridges, the game's protagonist, to fool age verification tools into believing the user is an adult. Users have been sharing their demonstrations online. You can use Death Stranding's photo mode to bypass Discord's age verification — Dany Sterkhov 🛡✈ (@DanySterkhov) July 25, 2025 Both Reddit and Discord, which use the Persona and k-ID facial recognition services, were tricked by this method. Users on Discord were prompted to open and close Sam's mouth, while Reddit's Persona service requested users to move Sam's face, both actions successfully passing verification. Interestingly, the trick was not effective on Bluesky, which uses Yoti's facial estimation technology. Yoti has also partnered with Instagram to use similar age verification tools. Despite this limitation, the Death Stranding photo mode bypass offers a simple way to access age-restricted content without resorting to VPNs or sharing personal information like credit card details. People in the UK are using Norman Reedus' highly detailed face from Death Stranding to get past newly imposed age restrictions He looks so real that it tricks the photo ID system — Dexerto (@Dexerto) July 26, 2025 This bypass could be particularly appealing for users who want to avoid sharing sensitive information with third parties while still complying with age verification requirements. While the method provides a potential shortcut for adults looking to bypass age restrictions, it underscores ongoing concerns about the efficacy and privacy implications of AI-driven systems in today's digital landscape.
Sinar Daily
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Sinar Daily
Japan's Sega eyes return to 1990s gaming glory
TOKYO - The big-screen success of 1990s video game speedster "Sonic the Hedgehog" has brought new fans to Japan's Sega, which says it is poised for a comeback after two tough decades. This year all eyes have been on Nintendo, whose Switch 2 recently became the fastest-selling console in history. Sega President and COO Shuji Utsumi speaks during an interview with AFP at the opening ceremony for the company's first official store in Tokyo's Shibuya district on July 16, 2025. (Photo by Kazuhiro NOGI / AFP) But unlike its former arch-rival, Sega has not sold gaming hardware since its Dreamcast console was discontinued in 2001, instead focusing on making games for other platforms. Now, as record tourism to Japan helps boost global appetite for the country's pop culture, the company sees a chance to reinvent itself -- including through nostalgic game remakes and movie adaptations like the hit "Sonic" series. Sega opens its first flagship merchandise store in Japan, having launched a similar shop in Shanghai in May. "Opportunities are expanding," chief operating officer Shuji Utsumi told AFP. "We've been struggling... for a while, but now we are coming back." The company aims "to expand our business globally rather than focusing on the Japanese market", he said. Sega was a top industry player in the 1980s and 1990s, its name synonymous with noisy arcades, home consoles and game franchises, such as beat-em-up "Streets of Rage" and ninja series "Shinobi". But it struggled to keep up with intense competition, falling on hard times financially as multiplayer online titles from US publishers, such as "World of Warcraft", took off in the 2000s. 'Persona' movie? After Sega quit the hardware business, its game offerings "got a little stale", said David Cole of the US-based games market research firm DFC Intelligence. But "the kids who grew up in the 1990s are now in their 30s, 40s, even older, and really like those franchises" -- and are introducing them to their own children -- he told AFP. "It's untapped value" that Sega -- just like its Japanese peers including Nintendo -- is trying to capitalise on through new movies, stores and theme park rides, Cole added. Last year, the film "Sonic the Hedgehog 3" starring Jim Carrey as the villain zipped to the top of the North American box office in one of the best December openings in years. It followed the first live-action "Sonic" movie in 2020, as Sega cashes in on a video-game movie craze that saw "The Super Mario Bros. Movie", based on the Nintendo characters, become the second-highest grossing film of 2023. "Shinobi" is also being turned into a film, while Sega's "Yakuza" game series has been adapted for television. When asked if cult franchise "Persona" could be next, Sega's Utsumi said fans should "stay tuned". "We are talking to a lot of interesting potential partners. So we are under some discussions, but I can't say too much about it," he said. Super Game Sega bought Finland's Rovio, creator of "Angry Birds", in 2023, seeking to expand into the mobile gaming market. "Gamers' behaviour has been changing" since Sega's original heyday, going beyond TV-connected consoles, Utsumi said. But Cole said that in the long run Sega should concentrate on "high-end" gaming: larger-scale, more involved titles that encourage brand loyalty. Sega is working on what it calls a "Super Game" with big-budget international ambition and a scope that is "not only just a game -- communication, social, maybe potentially AI", Utsumi said. "The competition in the game market is very fierce," he cautioned. "It's important to really have a fan base close to us. But at the same time, when we develop a great game, it takes time." Sega's parent company Sega Sammy also makes arcade and gambling machines, including those used in Japanese "pachinko" parlours, whose numbers are in decline. That makes Sega's entertainment business "really the growth opportunity for the company", Cole said. Sega Sammy said in May its "Sonic" intellectual property "has contributed to an increase in both game and character licensing revenue". Young tourists in Tokyo shopping near Sega's new store ahead of the opening seemed to confirm this. "I've always liked Sega. I kind of grew up around their games," said 19-year-old American Danny Villasenor. "They're pretty retro. But I think they've evolved with time pretty well." William Harrington, 24, who lives in Los Angeles, said his father "put me on to a lot of the older games back in the day", and so to him, Sega "feels like childhood". - AFP
New Straits Times
6 days ago
- New Straits Times
Female driver remanded for two days over Pasir Gudang highway accident
JOHOR BARU: A 24-year-old female driver was remanded for two days after a viral video showed her allegedly driving recklessly, causing an accident at Km4 of the Pasir Gudang highway yesterday. Dashcam recording of the 12.21am accident went viral after it was uploaded on Facebook. The footage showed a Proton Wira overtaking in the right lane while a Proton Persona overtook from the left and re-entered the right lane, leading to a rear-side collision. The impact caused the Wira to lose control and crash into a road divider. The 21-year-old Wira driver lodged a police report yesterday. Johor Baru (North) police chief, Assistant Commissioner Balveer Singh, confirmed the Persona driver was remanded, and her statement was recorded. "She tested negative for alcohol and drugs following breathalyser and urine screening," Balveer said in a statement today. The case is being investigated under Section 42(1) of the Road Transport Act 1987 for reckless and dangerous driving. Balveer urged anyone with further information or dashcam footage to contact investigation officer Inspector Ong Jin Siong at 011-16490168.
