UK Law: Complying with the ICO

‘Age Appropriate Design Code’

Do you run a website which has content on it that might harm the mental or physical well-being of a child, and process any personal data (even if it’s just a user’s IP address)?

Content could be characters that would scare a very young child; comments from other users which could seriously disturb some children; or information on diet supplements, self-harm or even discussions about suicide.  Essentially, any content where you think – “I’m not sure I’d want my child to encounter this online.”

The law  – the Data Protection Act 2018 Section 123 – now requires you to apply online age verification checks, in proportion to the risk of harm this sort of content on your site could present to children under the age of 18.

The Information Commissioner’s Office can impose hefty fines, up to £17.5 million or 4% of your annual worldwide turnover, whichever is higher.

Age Verification Provider Association members provide a wide-range of cost-effective methods to apply age checks, completed to the BSI Standard for the industry (PAS 1296:2018), recognised by regulators, and can advise you on what you need to do to stay on the right side of the law.   They all comply with our AVPA Code of Conduct so you can be confident your customer’s data and privacy are not put at risk by running age checks through these reputable suppliers.

Adding age assurance to your website is simple, with plug-ins offered for popular website hosting platforms or more sophisticated integration offered through application process interfaces (APIs),  and often you will already have the data required to double check the majority of users to confirm they are adults – you will just, of course, need their permission to run a check.

Get in touch with an approved Age Verification supplier today as time is rapidly running out before the ICO begins enforcement activities – Find an AV Provider