Frequently Asked Questions for consumers

Aren’t most porn sites based abroad?  How can this law be enforced?u

Can tech-savvy children in the UK not just use a Virtual Private Network to pretend they are located abroad and avoid age checks?u

If adult sites block access via VPNs, does that not unfairly penalise LGBTQ+ people in authoritarian states which may use surveillance and punish them for accessing adult websites?u

Is it legal to use personal data to do age assurance without getting consent from the user?  How can younger children even give that consent?u

Isn’t preventing children from accessing pornography their parents’ responsibility? Surely they should implement parental controls or supervise their children better?u

We can’t stop children accessing pornography, so should we not focus on education and building resilience, not age verification?u

What arguments are used in favour of age verification for online pornographyu

What if a parent is happy for their child to see pornography?u

What methods of age verification for accessing pornography are available?u

Won’t AV providers become honeypots for hackers, particularly if they are ID providers as well?u

Can I just verify my age once, and then access all age-restricted websites?u

Do I need to repeat age verification each time I use a restricted website?u

Do the age estimation techniques based on facial images put me at risk of surveillance through image recognition software?u

How do age-restrictions affect retail collection points, couriers and other delivery servicesu

How does Age Verification differ from identity assurance?u

Is age verification the same as age assurance?u

Isn’t it sufficient to enter my date of birth, or send a scan of my driving licence?u

What is interoperability, and why is it such a priority for the AV industry?u

What methods of age verification are available?u

What standard of age verification for online alcohol sales is required in the UK?u

How do age-restrictions affect retail collection points, couriers and other delivery servicesu

What standard of age verification for online alcohol sales is required in the UK?u

Is online dating age-restricted?u

What laws and regulations will affect online dating in future?u

Will age verification prevent dating fraud and other associated crime?u

Will users of dating apps be put off by having to prove their age?u

Are age estimation techniques sufficient for social media companies?u

Can age verification providers check ages below 18?u

Why should social media platforms verify users are over 13?u

What does the AVPA Code of Conduct Cover?u

What standards do AVPA members apply?u

Why should I check age verification is being provided by an AVPA memberu

What is the euCONSENT project?u

Do we need more legislation and regulation to guarantee privacy and data security?u

Doesn’t this create a “hackers’ charter” by creating lists of an individual’s browsing history?u

Will AV create a record of your online activities?u

Your members are audited and certified but won’t AV allow bad actors to pose as legitimate providers to harvest personal data?u

You talk about audited, certified, standards-based age verification providers.  What does this mean?u