Balancing Privacy and Compliance in Online Age Verification

Government regulators and online platforms are increasingly requiring age verification to control access to adult content and age-restricted features.

Malwarebytes’ Pieter Arntz reports that this has sparked debate over the effectiveness, privacy implications, and technological reliability of different verification methods.

A platform for developers recently introduced age estimation technology, intended to allow certain age-based interactions while protecting teens from predators.

Age verification systems vary widely in approach and application, illustrating both the promise and controversy surrounding such tools. Compliance strategies must weigh regulatory mandates against privacy laws, cybersecurity risks, and user acceptance.

Each system offers a different balance of convenience and security. While some rely on algorithms to assess age from selfies or videos, others draw on verified personal data from banks, credit card issuers, telecom carriers, or government-issued IDs. Each has potential drawbacks.

In the UK, pornographic websites are now required to “robustly” verify users’ ages. Accepted methods include facial age estimation, open banking, digital identity wallets, credit card checks, email-based age estimation, mobile network operator checks, and photo-ID matching.

Facial recognition can be inaccurate and raises biometric data concerns. Bank or credit card verification can deter users who are unwilling to share financial information.

Email and mobile network checks depend heavily on the accuracy and completeness of existing records. Photo-ID matching is reliable but requires sharing sensitive personal data.

Critics also note that determined users may circumvent restrictions through virtual private networks, rendering some measures ineffective.

Emerging “double-anonymity” solutions, already gaining traction in jurisdictions like France, may offer a path forward, but implementation remains complex.

Lawyers should play a pivotal role in evaluating vendor trustworthiness and regulatory compliance.