What Was Persona Really Doing Behind Your Age Check? (2026/686)

You verify your age on an app, scan your face, upload your licence, and assume that is all that happens.

A quick check, data deleted, move on. But security researchers have just exposed Persona's source code - left unprotected on a government-certified server - and what they found goes well beyond checking birthdays.

In this episode, Charly covers:

✅ How Persona's source code ended up exposed on a public FedRAMP-certified server - and why this was not a hack
✅ The 269 distinct verification checks the system is capable of running, from facial recognition to watchlist screening
✅ Intelligence programme code names found in the code, including Project Shadow and Project Legion
✅ Why centralised biometric databases are honeypots - and the pattern of breaches that proves it
✅ What Australia's new age verification laws mean when the companies involved keep failing to secure your data
✅ Practical steps to protect yourself, your family, and your business right now

If you use any platform that required age verification, this one is worth your time.

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About the Author Charly Leetham

Charly Leetham has been in technology for over 40 years - from earning her amateur radio license at 13 to founding and running Ask Charly Leetham, a digital services business serving small businesses worldwide. After losing $1 million in a franchise failure, she rebuilt from scratch and has kept her business running for nearly two decades through skill, systems, and relentless practicality.

She hosts the podcast Rise and Shine - Your Business Tech Boost with Charly Leetham and speaks about what it actually takes to build businesses that work and last - not just look good on paper.

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