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With many states already pushing for device-level age verification, it’s likely only a matter of time before many websites, apps, and experiences require users to verify their age in some way. We’ve already seen backlash about this when Discord shared plans to enable age verification systems, even going so far as to threaten to restrict accounts if people didn’t verify their age. It makes sense why people might be against the idea of age verification. Because while it offers some positives — like helping to ensure children don’t access adult account — it also has many dangers associated with it. For example, it can expose a person’s private information, making it easier for bad actors to steal someone’s identity or worse. However, a new change in Google Wallet could help mitigate some of these concerns, at least for Android users.
According to a new APK teardown from Android Authority, it appears like Google Wallet might add in an ability for users to add “Proof of Age” to their Google Wallet. Based on the description of this feature in the screenshots that Android Authority captured of it, it sounds like it would allow Google Wallet users to provide age verification proof without sharing their personal information online. This function was spotted in version 26.27.941270914 of the Google Wallet app, and while it showcases the feature option in the settings, tapping on it only leads to a blank page.
There’s a catch
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Being able to more easily verify your age for platforms online without exposing your personal information sounds like a nice win. However, as with anything that centers around your private data, there is a big caveat to keep in mind here. Most important, it’s the fact that you’ll need to trust Google with that information in the first place.
If you already use Google services or apps, then chances are Google already knows a lot about you. However, given the scope of data Google captures, it makes sense that not everyone will be okay with this, and that’s perfectly fine.
However, if you’re going to make use of Google Wallet’s new feature — assuming that it actually releases — then you’ll need to be okay with sharing that information with the company. Ultimately, the benefit of this comes down to it being better to only have one company with that data, versus sharing all of that information with every site that requires age verification. But it still doesn’t completely rule out the problems with age verification as a whole. But with anything like this, even small steps can feel like a move in the right direction.
Having a proof of age functionality built into the app could help expand on some of the most underused Google Wallet features. However, as this is an APK teardown, there is no guarantee on when or even if this feature will actually arrive in the Google Wallet app. Considering how fleshed out it appears — beyond not working at the moment — it is very likely that Google will release it in some fashion. However, when that is, and whether or not it changes remain to be seen.
