Microsoft has an idea for keeping children safe online: create “digital playgrounds,” sites where visitors have to prove their age using digital identity credentials.

The idea was detailed in a paper Microsoft was set to release early on Wednesday as part of its Trustworthy Computing initiative. The concept builds on a notion called “End to End Trust” that Microsoft first proposed in April at the RSA Security conference.

Microsoft proposes using existing identity verification systems, such as schools that register children for classes, post offices that verify identities for passports, and motor vehicle agencies that issue drivers' licenses, to help create digital credentials that people would use online.

“For example, I could produce my driver's license, stick it in a card reader, and prove it's really me,” Charney said.

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