Tag Archives: Verification

Do you like writing software for Android, perhaps even sideload the occasional APK onto your Android device? In that case some big changes are heading your way, with Google announcing that they will soon require developer verification for all applications installed on certified Android devices – meaning basically every mainstream device. Those of us who have distributed Android apps via …

Google is changing the way you confirm if contacts are legit. The company has begun rolling out a QR code to verify that the person you’re communicating with is, in fact, who they say they are, 9to5Google reports. The feature is currently available in beta. An end-to-end encryption card isn’t anything new, but verifying the encryption meant seeing an 80-digit …

Google is tightening security measures around Android app distribution, the company announced on Monday. Starting next year, Google will begin to verify the identities of developers distributing their apps on Android devices, not just those who distribute via the Play Store. The changes will affect all certified Android devices once live, though the global rollout will be more gradual. The …

To combat malware and financial scams, Google announced today that only apps from developers that have undergone verification can be installed on certified Android devices starting in 2026. This requirement applies to “certified Android devices” that have Play Protect and are preloaded with Google apps. The Play Store implemented similar requirements in 2023, but Google is now mandating this for …

As previewed last year, Google Messages is beginning to roll out QR code-based key verification to confirm that you’re “communicating with the person you intend to.”  Once available, open a conversation in Google Messages and open the Details page by tapping their name in the app bar. The End-to-end encryption card has been around for some time, but tapping “Verify …

A growing number of U.S. politicians are condemning a new British law that requires some websites and apps — including some based in the United States — to check the ages of users across the pond. A bipartisan group of members of Congress visited London recently to meet counterparts and air their concerns about the U.K.’s Online Safety Act, which …

Xbox is rolling out new procedures for letting U.K. players verify their identity, Microsoft announced today, Monday, July 28, via Xbox Wire. This comes shortly after the introduction of the country’s Online Safety Act, which is ostensibly framed around the protection of younger users by requiring verification to ensure someone is 18 before viewing adult content online. Starting today, Xbox …

Microsoft is starting to comply with the UK’s Online Safety Act by prompting Xbox players to verify their age today. The prompts will be shown to Xbox players who indicate they’re over the age of 18 and will be shown when you sign into an Xbox account in the UK. Microsoft says it’s also exploring bringing similar age verification tools …

Gamers in the United Kingdom have found a surprisingly simple way to bypass online age verification checks now required by law on some websites using just a video game. An X user named Dany Sterkhov appears to be the first to discover the hack. On July 25, he posted that he had bypassed Discord’s age verification check using the photo …

Liv McMahon Technology reporter Getty Images Virtual private network (VPN) apps have become the most downloaded on Apple’s App Store in the UK after sites such as PornHub, Reddit and X began requiring age verification of users on Friday. VPNs can disguise your location online – allowing you to use the internet as though you are in another country. It …