In the US that varies by state. California is "two party consent" so you need permission. If you just mean you can do it illegally, tape recorders have been around since way before the 1980s.

This nonsense of sending passports is just ridiculous. Users don't want to send it, and websites don't want to have them - it just makes them a bigger target for these kinds of hacks. Luckily the EU is working on a better solution to this that works on a zero-knowledge principle. Meaning the website doesn't get to know who you are, and the government doesn't know who's asking. If you're going to need age verification (I don't like it, but I also agree it's inevitable for some things), this is a much, much less stupid way to go about it.

slightest modicum of semblance?

I was going to add this. Yea Google is notorious for refusing to license new browsers for usage of the DRM's they own and maintain, instead stringing them along for years at a time without ever rejecting it, so they can give the image that they aren't suppressing competition. apologize, just now noticed this is a 2 week old comment.