Hey, not two days ago someone said that [connections between Peter Thiel and age verification](https://kotaku.com/discord-palantir-peter-thiel-persona-age-verification-2000668951) was a "conspiracy theory". Apart from the above link, the article states: > And as these mandates create a captive market worth billions of dollars, a whole ecosystem of venture-backed “identity-as-a-service” startups has sprung up to serve it. Persona, valued at $2 billion and backed by **Peter Thiel’s investment network**, is just one of many. Unrelated to the above, but I like the wording too much: > “Child safety” has simply become the marketing department for a rent-seeking **surveillance** industry. ## A note on the US v EU thing Is this an US-only thing? There are several articles over the past few months hinting at US Big-Tech lobbying efforts in the EU. Thiel makes a living as a contractor of the surveillance apparatus. It is only in his interest to expand his business in the highly regulated EU, and I have not even started on his Dark Enlightment politics. von der Leyen has no spine in this, if she isn't actively complicit.