The New York Times is reporting that Microsoft, Google and PayPal are backing a non-profit industry organization to explore the use of "Information Cards" to help solve the problem of authenticating one's identify on the Internet.

A solution promoted by the Information Card Foundation would create digital cards that would identify us when we make online purchases or want to enter websites. Instead of having to type a user name and password, you would simply click on the Information Card stored on your PC, within your browser or on your mobile device-"clicking in" rather than logging in. The "I-Card" could also contain other information like your shipping address so you wouldn't have to type it on shopping sites.

While this has obvious implications for e-commerce, it's also being considered as a partial solution to age verification. It certainly could be used to prove someone is an adult before allowing them to purchase alcohol or tobacco online or to visit an adult website. Some have suggested that cards like these could verify the age of visitors to social networking sites to limit entry to children and teens (and not adult impersonators). But identifying a person under 18, according to John Cardillo of Sentinel Tech, a leading identify age verification company, is extremely problematic because these systems typically take advantage of credit reports and other information that are not available for youth.

The non-profit I work with, ConnectSafely.org, is a member of the Technical Task Force on Internet Safety that was formed in February as a result of an agreement between MySpace and 49 state attorneys general. The group consists of representatives of major Internet and social networking services (including MySpace, Facebook, Bebo, AOL, Google and Yahoo!) and several non-profits-plus officials from companies that offer age and identity verification technology. We've had three meetings so far. Over the next few months, we'll be reviewing the effectiveness and desirability of age verification technology as a way to increase Internet safety.

As a task force member, I'm keeping an open mind, but I'm also aware that age verification has its challenges and-ultimately-may not be as necessary as some government officials think. Parental involvement and teen and child education has, at least so far, been the most effective way to keep kids safe online.