Age Assurance

Age assurance can use different age estimation and age verification techniques, combining them into some sort of age assurance solution.

In general, these are the most common methods:

• Self-declaration
• AI and biometrics 
• Hard identifiers, such as passports
• Tokenized age verification through third parties

So, it depends on the company that’s crafting its age assurance process. It can use traditional verification methods, such as a government-issued ID check, with advanced technologies like selfie verification, adding pre-screenings, such as phone verification or IP address detection, for extra security. 

Age estimation is a broader term, which is also sometimes used to describe age verification methods. However, the main difference is that age verification describes stricter verification measures that are more accurate than age estimation. For example, a user uploads their government-issued ID document to confirm their age online — this is age verification. In the meantime, age estimation methods generally provide a probable age range rather than a precise age. 

The Office of Communications, or Ofcom, is the UK’s regulatory body for communication services, ensuring quality broadband, home phone, and mobile services while overseeing TV, radio, and internet services. In the context of age assurance, Ofcom is responsible for providing industry guidance on implementing effective age verification and assurance processes to shield children from harmful content, such as adult-only platforms that show pornographic content. 

Ofcom implemented the Online Safety Act, aimed at making the internet safer, especially for children, which is based on a compliance program and how regulated entities implement age checks into their workflow. These measures are designed to prevent children from accessing explicit content and ensure stronger online protections. According to Ofcom, this framework is expected to be applied consistently across the entire online safety regime.

Under the Online Safety Act, platforms must be clear about what harmful content they allow and give users more say in what they see. Additionally, service providers must stop children from seeing age-inappropriate content and offer easy ways for parents to report such safety issues. This follows strict industry standards introduced last month to combat illegal content and precedes broader child protection measures set to launch in the spring.

Yes, regulatory compliance differs based on the entity’s jurisdiction, and every country has the standard policy to adapt and provide its own guidelines on age assurance. However, most of the age verification and assurance requirements follow a unified approach. So, when choosing a third-party age assurance system, you should consider the privacy implications of user data.

For example, the US has stricter laws regarding user privacy and age assurance, posing additional risks regarding children’s data. If a company operates in multiple markets, it needs to consider state, local, and global laws, such as the GDPR, CCPA, BIPA, and COPPA.