Persona: Difference between revisions
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|Website=https://withpersona.com/ | |Website=https://withpersona.com/ | ||
|Description=Identity Verification | |Description=Identity Verification | ||
|Industry=Software}} | |Industry=Software|Founded=October 2018|CompanyAlias=Persona Identities Inc.}} | ||
Persona is an Identity Verification company, founded in 2018 by Rick Song and Charles Yeh. It is funded by Founders Fund<ref>{{Cite web |title=Persona |url=https://foundersfund.com/company/persona/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260228040423/https://foundersfund.com/company/persona/ |archive-date=2026-02-28 |website=Founders Fund}}</ref> which is an adventure capitalist firm | Persona is an Identity Verification company, founded in 2018 by Rick Song and Charles Yeh. It is funded by Founders Fund<ref>{{Cite web |title=Persona |url=https://foundersfund.com/company/persona/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260228040423/https://foundersfund.com/company/persona/ |archive-date=2026-02-28 |website=Founders Fund}}</ref> which is an adventure capitalist firm co-founded by Peter Theil.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Peter Thiel |url=https://foundersfund.com/team/peter-thiel/ |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160528193728/http://foundersfund.com/team/peter-thiel/ |archive-date=2016-05-28 |website=Founders Fund}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Redacto |date=2026-02-16 |title=Discord Tested Age Verification Vendor Persona: What Users Should Know |url=https://redact.dev/blog/discord-persona-age-verification-experiment |url-status=live |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/PAWXp |archive-date=2026-02-26 |website=redact.dev}}</ref> <!-- This is awkward, but archive.org says they don't host this anymore: https://web.archive.org/web/20260224122954/https://redact.dev/blog/discord-persona-age-verification-experiment ....so archive.today has been put as the archive URL --> | ||
From the 14th July 2025 they started working with [[Reddit]] to perform ID checks on | From the 14th July 2025 they started working with [[Reddit]] to perform ID checks on its UK site, as part of the UK's Online Safety Act.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2025-07-14 |title=Reddit starts verifying ages of users in the UK |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cj4ep1znk4zo |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260225142635/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cj4ep1znk4zo |archive-date=2026-02-25 |access-date=2026-02-20 |work=BBC News}}</ref> | ||
In February 2026 [[Discord]] announced they would be experimenting with Persona to perform ID checks worldwide.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bubbles |date=2026-02-24 |title=How to Complete Age Assurance on Discord |url=https://support.discord.com/hc/en-us/articles/30326565624343-How-to-Complete-Age-Assurance-on-Discord |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260212201755/https://support.discord.com/hc/en-us/articles/30326565624343-How-to-Complete-Age-Assurance-on-Discord |archive-date=2026-02-12 |website=Discord}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=2026-02-09 |title=Discord is rolling out facial scanning and ID checks globally in March for users who don't want to be locked into a 'teen-appropriate experience' |url=https://www.pcgamer.com/games/discord-is-rolling-out-facial-scanning-and-id-checks-in-march-for-everyone-who-doesnt-want-to-be-locked-into-a-teen-appropriate-experience/ |url-status=live |access-date=2026-02-20 |work=PC Gamer |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260214175605/https://www.pcgamer.com/games/discord-is-rolling-out-facial-scanning-and-id-checks-in-march-for-everyone-who-doesnt-want-to-be-locked-into-a-teen-appropriate-experience/ |archive-date=14 Feb 2026}}</ref> | In February 2026 [[Discord]] announced they would be experimenting with Persona to perform ID checks worldwide.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bubbles |date=2026-02-24 |title=How to Complete Age Assurance on Discord |url=https://support.discord.com/hc/en-us/articles/30326565624343-How-to-Complete-Age-Assurance-on-Discord |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260212201755/https://support.discord.com/hc/en-us/articles/30326565624343-How-to-Complete-Age-Assurance-on-Discord |archive-date=2026-02-12 |website=Discord}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=2026-02-09 |title=Discord is rolling out facial scanning and ID checks globally in March for users who don't want to be locked into a 'teen-appropriate experience' |url=https://www.pcgamer.com/games/discord-is-rolling-out-facial-scanning-and-id-checks-in-march-for-everyone-who-doesnt-want-to-be-locked-into-a-teen-appropriate-experience/ |url-status=live |access-date=2026-02-20 |work=PC Gamer |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260214175605/https://www.pcgamer.com/games/discord-is-rolling-out-facial-scanning-and-id-checks-in-march-for-everyone-who-doesnt-want-to-be-locked-into-a-teen-appropriate-experience/ |archive-date=14 Feb 2026}}</ref> | ||
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*Geolocation data as we may infer your general geographic location (such as city, state, and country) based on your IP address; | *Geolocation data as we may infer your general geographic location (such as city, state, and country) based on your IP address; | ||
*Biometric Data, only with your express consent, including a scan of your facial geometry based on the photos or video you provide. For more information about Biometric Data, see the Facial Scan and Biometrics Information section below.}} | *Biometric Data, only with your express consent, including a scan of your facial geometry based on the photos or video you provide. For more information about Biometric Data, see the Facial Scan and Biometrics Information section below.}}There are also privacy concerns about Persona's ties to the data analytics company [[Palantir]] and the co-founder Peter Thiel. | ||
==Incidents== | ==Incidents== | ||
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===AI-Powered Ages Verification leads to inaccurate age verification on Roblox ''(Jan 2026)''=== | ===AI-Powered Ages Verification leads to inaccurate age verification on Roblox ''(Jan 2026)''=== | ||
Children were being identified as adults and vice versa on [[Roblox]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Gilbert |first=David |date=2026-01-13 |title=Roblox’s AI-Powered Age Verification Is a Complete Mess |url=https://www.wired.com/story/robloxs-ai-powered-age-verification-is-a-complete-mess/ |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260226005411/https://www.wired.com/story/robloxs-ai-powered-age-verification-is-a-complete-mess/ |archive-date=2026-02-26 |access-date=2026-02-20 |website=Wired}}</ref> The age verification restricted who the users could talk to. This implementation was | Children were being identified as adults and vice versa on [[Roblox]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Gilbert |first=David |date=2026-01-13 |title=Roblox’s AI-Powered Age Verification Is a Complete Mess |url=https://www.wired.com/story/robloxs-ai-powered-age-verification-is-a-complete-mess/ |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260226005411/https://www.wired.com/story/robloxs-ai-powered-age-verification-is-a-complete-mess/ |archive-date=2026-02-26 |access-date=2026-02-20 |website=Wired}}</ref> The age verification restricted who the users could talk to. This implementation was criticized as not helping to address safety concerns, and harming the user experience.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2026-01-09 |title=Age Check to Chat Update & Fast Follow Roadmap |url=https://devforum.roblox.com/t/age-check-to-chat-update-fast-follow-roadmap/4238626/5 |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260203031742/https://devforum.roblox.com/t/age-check-to-chat-update-fast-follow-roadmap/4238626/5 |archive-date=3 Feb 2026 |access-date=2026-01-20 |website=devforum.roblox.com}}</ref> | ||
===User tracking and ties with the US government=== | ===User tracking and ties with the US government=== | ||
On the 16th of February, 2026, a security researcher known as Celeste published an article showing that Persona was building profiles on users and sharing said profiles with the US government, even having a flagging system to flag users that seem suspicious. A code to track | On the 16th of February, 2026, a security researcher known as Celeste published an article showing that Persona was building profiles on users and sharing said profiles with the US government, even having a flagging system to flag users that seem suspicious. A code to track crypto-addresses has also been found.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Celeste |date=2026-02-16 |title=the watchers: how openai, the US government, and persona built an identity surveillance machine that files reports on you to the feds |url=https://vmfunc.re/blog/persona |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260221231714/https://vmfunc.re/blog/persona |archive-date=2026-02-21 |website=vmfunc.re}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Celeste |date=2026-02-24 |title=the watchers, pt. 2: the correspondence |url=https://vmfunc.re/blog/persona-2 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260225233304/https://vmfunc.re/blog/persona-2 |archive-date=2026-02-25 |access-date=2026-02-26 |website=vmfunc.re}}</ref> <!-- <- I can't understand the technicals of the part 2 source, but it's a part 2, so I assume it's related -raster -->Alongside that, it was also discovered that 269 different checks were used for verification, which included things like phone carrier queries and death record matching. With their privacy policy hiding these checks under vague terms like "public government documents".<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-12-04 |title=Privacy Policy |url=https://withpersona.com/legal/privacy-policy-roblox |url-status=live |archive-url= |website=Persona}}</ref> <!-- no archive!! IA: "Save Page Now browser crashed on https://withpersona.com/legal/privacy-policy-roblox." --> | ||
==Products== | ==Products== | ||
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==Clients== | ==Clients== | ||
Persona provides their service to these companies and products:{{ | Persona provides their service to these companies and products:<ref>{{Cite web |title=Customer Success Stories and Case Studies |url=https://withpersona.com/customers |url-status=live |access-date=2026-02-28 |website=Persona}}</ref> <!-- < IA does not archive this properly (list of customers is missing and non-interactable) --> | ||
{| class="wikitable sortable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" | {| class="wikitable sortable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" | ||
|+ | |+<!-- Some clients are missing from this list --> | ||
!'''Company/Product''' | !'''Company/Product''' | ||
!'''Used for''' | !'''Used for''' | ||
!Additional notes | !Additional notes | ||
|- | |||
|[[Anthropic]] ([[Claude]]) | |||
|Identity Verification | |||
|Since April 2026, Anthropic implemented identity verification to "prevent abuse, enforce our usage policies and comply with legal obligations" when there are no current legislations in any country that mandates AI companies to introduce ID verification. <ref>https://x.com/Pirat_Nation/status/2044960285510053929#m</ref> | |||
|- | |- | ||
|Brex | |Brex | ||
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| | | | ||
| | | | ||
|- | |||
|Cashapp | |||
|Identify Verification | |||
|Used to verify an users face and government issued ID | |||
|- | |- | ||
|Coursera | |Coursera | ||
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==Third Parties== | ==Third Parties== | ||
These are third parties that can receive and use the data provided by Persona:<ref>{{Cite web |author=Unknown |date=16 Feb 2026 |title=I Verified My LinkedIn Identity. Here's What I Actually Handed Over. |url=https://thelocalstack.eu/posts/linkedin-identity-verification-privacy/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive. | These are third parties that can receive and use the data provided by Persona:<ref>{{Cite web |author=Unknown |date=16 Feb 2026 |title=I Verified My LinkedIn Identity. Here's What I Actually Handed Over. |url=https://thelocalstack.eu/posts/linkedin-identity-verification-privacy/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260514074900/https://thelocalstack.eu/posts/linkedin-identity-verification-privacy/ |archive-date=14 May 2026 |access-date=24 Feb 2026 |website=The Local Stack}}</ref> | ||
{| class="wikitable sortable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" | {| class="wikitable sortable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" | ||
|+ | |+ | ||
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*[[Online Safety Act]] | *[[Online Safety Act]] | ||
*[[Age Verification]] | *[[Age Verification]] | ||
*[[Discord / 5CA Data Breach]] | |||
==References== | ==References== | ||