User blog comment:AnitaTotallyRocks/Underaged Users/@comment-3542404-20140808233621

While I agree that protecting kids is paramount, it's borderline impossible to check everyone who ever signs up without going totalitarian (surely?). It is and probably will always be, a precarious issue; if we accept everyone at face value there's the risk of people slipping past, if we question everyone and enforce NSA-level background checks there will be outrage (and looting, maybe, probably not). Suspecting that everyone is not who or what who they say they are is not a good way to go about it, it leads to distrust, which wikis don't do well on. Yes, it is breaking the law and yes there are steps to help stop underage users. But the brutal truth is nothing stops an eleven-year-old from lying on the sign up sheet. Personally I find there's an unspoken "don't ask, don't tell"-esque trend, if they act (above) their age and contribute positively no-one bats an eye. But what happens when through some twist it's revealed they're under 13? Are people willing to overlook this because they contribute well? It's not quite as black and white as it seems on the surface.