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We were perhaps too distracted by our repeated, failed attempts to please Paul Walker's horny virtual wife to consider the potential privacy-violating implications of turning over our personal information in exchange for a crack at New Line's online game for Running Scared. BoingBoing's Xeni Jardin immediately smelled something wrong (or at least got tipped to the weirdness by G3k) with the website's supposed age-verification system:

From the disclaimer on the age-verification page:


"To ensure verification, please provide information as it is listed on your current Drivers License or State issued ID. By clicking on the "submit" button, I agree that I am at least 17 years of age, I authorize you to confirm my age by checking the accuracy of the information I have submitted against the government-issued identification, and I agree to the Terms of Use governing this website."

If you value your privacy, and enter phony info, here's what you'll see:

"SORRY | We are unable to process your information at this time. | Please double check to make sure your name and zip code are entered exactly as they appear on your current Driver's License or state-issued ID."

WTF? So, either this means New Line Cinema is querying a government database (DMV records?) to verify that would-be users are adults (ah, highly unlikely), or they're phishing: tricking website visitors into submitting personal data, which they won't query against any data source. Either way, violating your audience's privacy is even more gross than this game.

Sound like not such a great deal? It might get worse. A BoingBoing reader claims that the New Line's age verification system resides on a server operated by YesMail, a known spammer, meaning that Paul Walker's horny virtual wife (we just love typing that) might repay your oral generosity with an inbox full of junk mail.

Updates are flying fast and furious over at BB.

UPDATE: BoingBoing's gotten a response from New Line, which can be found here. Short version: They say they don't spam, and that they just want to make sure you're of appropriate age before you climb inside Paul Walker's pixelated head and ride it to Orgasmtown.