Grassware
16 hours ago
- #tech regulation
- #digital rights
- #surveillance
- Yoti, an age verification provider, is reporting users of GrapheneOS to authorities simply for using the OS, highlighting concerns over its overreach.
- Age verification providers like Yoti are acting as delegated law enforcement, using child safety as a guise for purposes unrelated to it, raising questions about legal authority and due process.
- The concept of 'grassware' is introduced to describe safety tech applications that enable mass reporting to authorities, with subtypes like SnitchTech (objective grounds) and StasAI (subjective grounds).
- Grassware is being integrated into existing services in societies claiming to prioritize safety, despite leading towards mass surveillance, and is driven by private sector profit with government support.
- The risks of grassware include false accusations, lack of due process, and potential backlash in cultures where informing is not tolerated, threatening social and political stability.