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by txrx0000·5mo ago·view on hn ↗
If the goal was to protect the children, there are much simpler solutions. But for whatever reason, companies and governments are avoiding the simple solutions like the plague.

Let me explain the simple solutions:

Don't let phone manufacturers lock the bootloader on phones. Let the device owner lock it themselves with a password if they want to. Someone will make a kid-friendly OS if there is market demand and tech-savvy parents can install that and lock the bootloader.

What about the non-tech-savvy parents?

Don't restrict people from sideloading apps. Let the user set a password-based app installation lock if they want to. It should be a toggle in the phone's settings. Someone will make kid-friendly apps if there is demand. This lets average parents control what apps get installed or uninstalled on their kid's phone.

But what about apps or online services that adults also use?

Apps and online services can add a password-protected toggle in their user account settings that enables child mode. Let the user set the password and toggle it themselves. Parents can take their child's phone and toggle this.

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Notice how easy these things are to implement? All of these features could be implemented in less than a week. But instead of doing this, they want to implement much more complicated schemes where the gov and corps control all the toggles, and you control none. Why is it like that? Surely there are no ulterior motives, right?

2 comments
Where's the profit.

One must be a realist. If there is no profit motive, it won't happen. Ever.

One profit motive is "the government has regulations, I will be fined if I don't do this".

Another is "my competitors do it, and people buy their stuff because of it".

All the technical solutions are easy. And you're right, it's not about age verification, it's about profits.

The same way cars are regulated to have air bags, couches be made from non flammable materials, and so on.

Human nature has been the same forever. It will never, ever change. Ever. Profit drives all.

Profit does not drive all. There are other valuable things besides money. A healthy society must regulate shortsighted profit-seeking and power-seeking. That's what these conversations are for.
My point is that the market will never take care of things like this, without a profit motive. Even if it is "fines hurt profit".

Ignoring this when planning and discussing won't help the end goal. It will doom one to failure.

The solve must fit the puzzle.

The basic problem is that if subversion is possible black hats will trick people into subverting it.