Age verification system

Methods of Age Verification

• Birth date input on a form (ineffective due to potential fraud)
• Credit card verification (dependent on assumption of adult credit card holders)
• Federated identification through third-party providers (e.g., AgeID by MindGeek)
• Face recognition using official identification photos
• Zero-Knowledge Proof for age verification without disclosing identity

Knowledge-based Age Verification

• Leisure Suit Larry video game using trivia questions
• Online services with integrated age verification API
• Use of content filtering software by parents
• Age verification through online quizzes or tests
• Emerging standards for age assurance systems (e.g., PAS1296:2018, ISO standard)

Legal Mandates for Age Verification

• Australia's Online Safety Act 2021 recommendation against age verification scheme
• Canada's Bill S-210 requiring effective age verification for accessing explicit content
• Germany's Jugendmedienschutz-Staatsvertrag mandating face-to-face verification
• United Kingdom's Digital Economy Act 2017 with abandoned age verification system
• United States' COPPA for age verification on websites targeting users under 13

Age Verification in United States

• Age verification on alcoholic beverage websites for legal drinking age
• Louisiana's requirement of age verification for accessing adult websites
• Social media addiction bills in Arkansas and Utah mandating age verification
• Utah's law requiring age verification on pornography websites (pending implementation)
• Texas law mandating age verification invalidated by US District Judge (pending appeal)

Trade Association for Age Verification

• Age Verification Providers Association representing the sector
• Founded in 2018 and grew to 27 members by 2023
• Represents the interests of age verification providers
• Works towards industry standards and best practices
• Supports collaboration and knowledge sharing among members

Age verification system Data Sources