Gmail - Google wants my birthdate ?

martindow

I have had several messages from Google wanting me to enter my birthday.  It claims that it needs this as a legal requirement but also mentions that it will use this to serve targetted ads.  Can I ignore this?

No doubt google has already a very good idea of my birthday from scraping emails over the years ...

steviebabes

What's the problem? Just put a fake one in if your bothered but write it down in case it is required for verification at a later date.

RumRat

Yes, just fake one.....Take the opportunity to knock ten years off your age....

neilmcl

You want to use their service then you abide by their terms. As others have said, just put in a fake date.

J_B

I always use 01/01/1900 when asked these sort of things

martindow

Thanks.  I was intrigued by this being a legal requirement - is that really so? 

I might take up J_B's idea and make my self 121 years old!

powerful_Rogue

martindow said:

Thanks.  I was intrigued by this being a legal requirement - is that really so? 

I might take up J_B's idea and make my self 121 years old!

Why wouldn't it be a legal requirement?

It's perfectly reasonable for them to ask you your date of birth. It's also perfectly reasonable for you to decline and be refused access to the free service they are offering you.

Why not buy a domain and have your own personal email if it's that much of an issue?

martindow

powerful_Rogue said:

martindow said:

Thanks.  I was intrigued by this being a legal requirement - is that really so? 

I might take up J_B's idea and make my self 121 years old!

Why wouldn't it be a legal requirement?

It's perfectly reasonable for them to ask you your date of birth. It's also perfectly reasonable for you to decline and be refused access to the free service they are offering you.

Why not buy a domain and have your own personal email if it's that much of an issue?

It's not a big deal, but I can't see how it can be a legal requirement.  I can see that a seller of alcohol for instance is justified in checking that someone is over 18, but google?

Jenni_D

martindow said:

powerful_Rogue said:

martindow said:

Thanks.  I was intrigued by this being a legal requirement - is that really so? 

I might take up J_B's idea and make my self 121 years old!

Why wouldn't it be a legal requirement?

It's perfectly reasonable for them to ask you your date of birth. It's also perfectly reasonable for you to decline and be refused access to the free service they are offering you.

Why not buy a domain and have your own personal email if it's that much of an issue?

It's not a big deal, but I can't see how it can be a legal requirement.  I can see that a seller of alcohol for instance is justified in checking that someone is over 18, but google?

They could potentially fall foul of the law e.g. if they served up "adult" images or other content to a minor ... having the DOB of the Google account holder gives them a get-out.

powerful_Rogue

martindow said:

powerful_Rogue said:

martindow said:

Thanks.  I was intrigued by this being a legal requirement - is that really so? 

I might take up J_B's idea and make my self 121 years old!

Why wouldn't it be a legal requirement?

It's perfectly reasonable for them to ask you your date of birth. It's also perfectly reasonable for you to decline and be refused access to the free service they are offering you.

Why not buy a domain and have your own personal email if it's that much of an issue?

It's not a big deal, but I can't see how it can be a legal requirement.  I can see that a seller of alcohol for instance is justified in checking that someone is over 18, but google?

It's a requirement Google has decided they want to add for people wishing to use their services. Nothing wrong with that at all. Tesco if they wished could have someone on the door asking for your date of birth if you wanted to go shopping. Don't like it, go elsewhere.

Not sure why you keep going on about 'legal requirement'. It's just a requirement that is not unlawful. Some people don't let others into their house without taking their shoes off first. Nothing illegal about that either.

martindow

powerful_Rogue said:

Not sure why you keep going on about 'legal requirement'. It's just a requirement that is not unlawful. Some people don't let others into their house without taking their shoes off first. Nothing illegal about that either.

Their email mentioned it was a legal requirement