ID Checks - Do We Need Them?

I don't want to tell you to get better at not being mugged but here are really easy personal policies that would fit you, considering the kind of levels at which you shoot:

1) save time: don't even start the process of arranging to shoot with models who look like they could be borderline age. I mean it is 2024; the most beautiful and glamorous models are largely over 25 anyway

2) avoid sleaze: don't work with models who have school uniform shoots on their portfolios. I mean I hope this model was banned simply for posting that content -- it should be no-questions-asked instaban territory IMO (Admin if it is not, why is it not?)

3) retain the benefits of human administrator scrutiny: don't -- no really, don't -- take comms to instagram with a model you have never met

As to why the portfolio existed in the first place, I would start with the reasonable assumption that you could have been talking to a tabloid journalist, if not something more sinister.

Having said that: no, I wouldn't provide ID over the internet without good reason, especially to an individual. Hell, not so long ago I wanted to buy something with a sharp point from Amazon and they wanted my ID (when I have had an account with a credit card attached to it in my own name for 23 years). I went and bought it in a shop.

I think there are ID services that Purpleport could use, now -- Stripe Identity is probably affordable, and in the UK it provides as good an ID check as anyone can (given we do not have unique government ID numbers). But I would need some assurances from Purpleport about how it was implemented. Not least because I still have concerns about login security. 

Edited by Unfocussed Mike

Lenswonder I got mugged by her too. I know who you mean.

Unfocussed Mike some of what you make are fair points.

School Uniform shots though - is that such an issue? Even though I appreciate the style, once popular in the lads mags of the 2000's, has now rather gone out of fashion, if it's an adult doing the pose it's not exactly illegal.

Comms - I've said all I need to say.

Russ Freeman as a company you can get a corporate account which carries out id checks for £3 a person!

JME Studios said

School Uniform shots though - is that such an issue? Even though I appreciate the style, once popular in the lads mags of the 2000's, has now rather gone out of fashion, if it's an adult doing the pose it's not exactly illegal.

On a site with so much adult content, it's beyond crass and arguably pretty problematic even when it is obviously grown adults doing it, for one thing, though I accept that some people enjoy the naffness and see it on a continuum with "school daze" discos (ew).

But when it's young-looking adults doing it, it's obviously much worse.

A site that does not verify ages and has 16- and 17- year old users should IMO obviously have a policy of banning it!

On a trivial level it's tabloid rage-bait, but there are also a number of ways it can go wrong in a legal sense because people do not understand how complex the law is around such material.

Like... why is the site allowing the fetishisation of school uniforms and also admitting users under 18? Neither would be better but clearly not both.

Mainly I am just suggesting you strongly consider it a red flag, particularly in a new model. Silly not to, IMO.

Edited by Unfocussed Mike

I still don't get why people feel the need to move comms to other platforms.

You can send images through PP mail - OK, it's clumsy, but it can be done.

If you have loads of images, why wouldn't you just host them in GDrive or OneDrive [etc] and send a link over? It's not like most of the users in this website are that technically inept that they can't follow a link.

JME Studios It's pedophilic to make a sexually charged shot or flirty shot with an adult wearing a school uniform shot - it's literally sexualising someone depicting a minor 🫣

Stu H said

I still don't get why people feel the need to move comms to other platforms.

https://purpleport.com/articles/287/valid-reasons-for-taking-communications-off-purpleport/

Stu H it's a massive faff, and even remote hosting is an issue as on mobile, links are not clickable. It's much easier to go into my camera roll, plonk the images up and say "are you up for shooting that?"

If the messaging system supported images properly on mobile, I would have no cause to take Comms off the platform.

People asking for ID to be sent via the Internet is not right. How does the person sending know that the person requesting is genuine? I wonder whether models would be happy to have their ID potentially shared if sent. Does the person requesting have a Safeguarding Certificate? In most cases on PP photographers are hobbyists and virtually all are not known personally by other members. In saving an ID sent, are all the correct Data Protection implications in place from the photographer? If ID is required then it is brought to the shoot and the photographer states; No ID, No Shoot.

Alyssa Taylor

Look, maybe I'm from a different generation.

The style was popular when I was in my early 20s, which is going back to the mid-2000s - I've just turned 40.

When I was a student (2003-2006) we had a St. Trinian's night every October at the main club in the city (Ikon in Coventry) and female students would dress up provocatively in school uniform, as would the lads.

The style was also popular in lads mags such as FHM, Loaded, Nuts and Zoo. Magazines that are now, themselves, out of fashion but I imagine there are what are now mature models on here probably modelled for said mags in the early days of their career or appeared in features like High Street Honeys or Real Girls. Maybe they did Page 3 too before that too died a death around a decade ago. I'm pretty sure I saw Emily Atack do at least one school uniform shoot for such a mag, whilst playing Charlotte Hinchcliffe in The Inbetweeners - the role which launched her career.

But I wouldn't say I ever found it dirty, but I grew up in an era where adults dressing up in school uniform on a night out was nothing less innocent than a bit of a laugh. But the 2000's was a more innocent and carefree time overall.

Sensual Art said

It's mandatory on model-kartei.de

It's optional on modelfol.io but there's also the concept there of being identified by having worked with others.

There are data protection issues, and I know I would be extremely hesitant to send a copy of my ID without strict assurance and safeguards.

It's a nice idea, but not without significant issues and costs, and not necessarily with the benefits you might imagine or hope for.

This is actually not technical correct. Verification is only mandatory at model-Kartei to he able to view nudes and to put up jobs with 18+ content. The restrictions by the verification are due to the harsh restriction by german law, to protect persons under the age of 18. I will personally never send any of my ID to any webseite, regradless of how trustworthy they appear. I am too paranoid for it. I live on Model-Kartei happily for about 10 years without issues.

BenGun Thank you for the correction :)

JME Studios said

Unfocussed Mike some of what you make are fair points.

School Uniform shots though - is that such an issue? Even though I appreciate the style, once popular in the lads mags of the 2000's, has now rather gone out of fashion, if it's an adult doing the pose it's not exactly illegal.

Comms - I've said all I need to say.

It is for the majority of models I've worked with, especially if they have kids of their own. There was plenty of drama a couple of years ago when a model delved behind the scenes of a photographer with faux school girls on his port and found his Flickr was littered with photos of real schoolgirls in uniform going to/from school. It caused such an uproar amongst models that the site he was on banned him.

I'm probably fairly well aligned with your generation but I've never seen the appeal, quite frankly. I'd go so far as to say that it characterises those that shoot it as... well, you know. And I don't even have kids.

I have never yet asked for ID, but that is because the people I have shot have mostly been in their 20s and 30s with many references. I have shot only 1 18 year old but it was a fully clothed shoot with no levels that are not permitted less than 18.

The youngest adult levels I have shot have been a 19 year old model but she was agency signed with appropriate ID provided.

If an 18 year old wanted to shoot adult levels then I would certainly want ID for sure. Also, I never arrange shoots off site. I have exchanged messages with a model on Whatsapp after the shoot was arranged on PP / calendar invite set up etc.

Here's another thought, does the same apply to photographers? A 17 year old for example, who looks much older could set up a photographer profile and arrange a shoot to take adult level photos. I wonder if that has happened too?