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# AVPA: The Age Verification Providers Association

## Sitemaps
[XML Sitemap](https://avpassociation.com/sitemap_index.xml): Includes all crawlable and indexable pages.

## Posts
- [The VPN Fallacy revisited](https://avpassociation.com/thought-leadership/the-vpn-fallacy/): Why age verification laws should require more than an IP address to prove a user’s location
- [New Zealand’s online age restrictions benefit from “second-mover advantage”](https://avpassociation.com/thought-leadership/new-zealands-online-age-restrictions-benefit-from-second-mover-advantage/): New Zealand has become the latest country to propose a social media minimum age of 16. But its new Online Safety (Minimum Age and Child Safety Risk Assessment) Bill does more than copy Australia.
- [No, EFF: ZKPs are a ‘silver bullet’ in Age Assurance when privacy is critical](https://avpassociation.com/thought-leadership/no-eff-zkps-are-a-silver-bullet-in-age-assurance-when-privacy-is-critical/): In their latest publication in a series tackling age assurance, "Zero-Knowledge Proofs Aren’t Age Verification Silver Bullets" the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) base their critique of a proven cryptographic technology entirely on the potential for it being deployed badly or maliciously.
- [Countries Considering Social Media Delays](https://avpassociation.com/thought-leadership/countries-considering-social-media-delays/): Governments are increasingly exploring a “social media delay” to restrict or better regulate children’s access to online platforms. These proposals are driven by growing concerns around youth mental health and online safety risks.
- [Age Assurance at 16 White Paper](https://avpassociation.com/consultation-response/age-assurance-at-16-white-paper/): Ofcom is due to report to Parliament on the feasibility of age assurance to implement a minimum age of 16 for social media in the UK. We consulted our members and have provided this report on the state of the art of current age assurance technology when it comes to confirming a user is 16 or older.  We also set out the available mitigation strategies to tackle circumvention of each method of highly effective age assurance.
- [Evidence to Australian Senate confirms our case: The problem is not Age Assurance – it’s the lack of it](https://avpassociation.com/thought-leadership/evidence-to-australian-senate-confirms-our-case-the-problem-is-not-age-assurance-its-the-lack-of-it/): This week’s Senate committee hearing into the social media minimum age ban confirmed what AVPA documented in our Lessons Learned report published in April: that platforms are not using the wide range of age assurance options they could adopt. So, this news of a gap between capability and deployment is not new. But the Senate hearing provided remarkably consistent testimony that makes it undeniable.
- [New Mexico Court Judgement: Positive or negative for Age Assurance?](https://avpassociation.com/thought-leadership/new-mexico-court-judgement-positive-or-negative-for-age-assurance/): On 6 August 2026, Judge Biedscheid of the First Judicial District Court in Santa Fe issued his findings of fact, conclusions of law and judgement in State of New Mexico v Meta Platforms, Inc. The case had been brought by New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez, alleging that Meta's platforms constituted a public nuisance by causing widespread harm to the mental health and safety of children and teenagers in New Mexico.
- [Why “Device-Only” age checks are a False Choice for lawmakers](https://avpassociation.com/thought-leadership/why-device-only-creates-a-false-choice-for-lawmakers/): A prominent adult platform network recently published an open letter to US lawmakers arguing that site-level age verification laws have failed. In its place, the letter proposes that lawmakers mandate Apple, Google and Microsoft to build device-level age checks into operating systems, treating such "upstream" controls as a complete substitute for the existing adult websites’ role in preventing underage access.
- [BMJ publishes research confirming age assurance is not being deployed in Australia](https://avpassociation.com/thought-leadership/bmj-publishes-research-confirming-age-assurance-is-not-being-deployed-in-australia/): A study published in the BMJ on 24 June 2026 looked at what actually happened to Australian teenagers in the three months after the Social Media Minimum Age Act came into force in December 2025. The headline conclusion has been widely reported as proof that age restrictions "don't work". A closer read of the data tells a different story: age assurance barely got switched on, so the impact of Act has not yet properly tested.
- [AVPA Response to Prime Minister’s Announcement on Social Media](https://avpassociation.com/news-release/avpa-response-to-prime-ministers-announcement-on-social-media/): PRESS RELEASE
- [Is the EU Age Verification App Ready for a Social Media Minimum Age?](https://avpassociation.com/thought-leadership/is-the-eu-age-verification-app-ready-for-a-social-media-minimum-age/): The EU Age Verification App was initially designed with a specific purpose: to demonstrate to adult-only services - pornography platforms in particular - that there was a technically feasible, GDPR-compliant mechanism to implement an 18+ minimum age. And it has succeeded in doing so, once the zero-knowledge proof functionality that is planned is in production. The architecture is privacy-preserving, the open-source blueprint is technically sound, delivering a proportionate level of age assurance for the use-cases it was invented to address.
- [Australian Minister Annika Wells assesses the success of the social media policy](https://avpassociation.com/news-release/australian-minister-annika-wells-assesses-the-success-of-the-social-media-policy/): On 10th June, the BBC's Dharshini David interviewed Australian communications minister, Annika Wells on Radio 4's Today Programme.  Listen in full below:
- [Rhetorically Conflating Age and Identity Checks Is Putting a Sign Above the Door You Want to Close](https://avpassociation.com/thought-leadership/rhetorically-conflating-age-and-identity-checks-is-putting-a-sign-above-the-door-you-want-to-close/): Opponents of age verification have long reached for a familiar argument: that checking someone's age before they access online content is really an identity check in disguise. The claim is that platforms will inevitably end up knowing who you are, that anonymity will be destroyed and that age assurance is just surveillance by another name.
- [California’s Digital Age Assurance Act: A novel parental control, but it’s not age verification](https://avpassociation.com/thought-leadership/californias-digital-age-assurance-act-a-novel-parental-control-but-its-not-age-verification/): Proposed amendments to California's Digital Age Assurance Act (DAAA) to remove open source operating systems from its scope are welcome. The original drafting inadvertently captured a range of open source projects that have little practical ability to implement the legislation's obligations. Excluding them is a sensible correction that allows policymakers to focus on the commercial operating systems that are the true target of the law.
- [Biometrics, Digital Identity and GDPR: Why the AEPD Decision Matters for Every European](https://avpassociation.com/thought-leadership/biometrics-digital-identity-and-gdpr-why-the-aepd-decision-matters-for-every-european/): The Spanish Data Protection Authority, the AEPD, has recently issued a decision that, if upheld on appeal and followed by other EU data protection authorities, would have profound consequences for the security of digital identity technology across Europe and for the EU Digital Identity Wallet that every member state is required to offer its citizens by the end of 2026.
- [AVPA response to UK government consultation on Social Media](https://avpassociation.com/consultation-response/avpa-response-to-uk-government-consultation-on-social-media/): The Age Verification Providers Association has submitted a response to the government's national consultation, 'Growing Up in the Online World', which will inform legislation expected to set new requirements for social media platforms, AI chatbots and other online services used by children.
- [Pornhub’s access for Apple users in the UK does not clearly achieve compliance](https://avpassociation.com/thought-leadership/pornhubs-access-for-apple-users-in-the-uk-does-not-clearly-achieve-compliance/): The announcement that Pornhub has reopened access to UK iPhone users following Apple’s iOS 26.4 update has been greeted in some quarters as a breakthrough moment for device-based age assurance. It is not. What has occurred is the emergence of a partial ecosystem-level child safety measure that some are now attempting to treat as equivalent to the highly effective age assurance (HEAA) required under the UK Online Safety Act. It is not clear that it meets that standard, and regulators should examine the arrangement carefully before treating it as a precedent.
- [Response to Internet Matters report](https://avpassociation.com/thought-leadership/response-to-internet-matters-report/): Internet Matters published quantitative and qualitative research titled "The Online Safety Act: Are children safer online?" which provides valuable evidence about how age assurance is working in practice for families. At a glance, it may give the impression that children are finding it simple to circumvent age checks, but a more careful analysis of the figures is less alarming.
- [AVPA writes to UK Competition & Markets Authority](https://avpassociation.com/news-release/avpa-writes-to-uk-competition-markets-authority/): The AVPA, the global trade association representing 35 providers of age assurance technology, has written to the UK Competition & Markets Authority, concerned by government plans documented in its consultation on digital ID to move into the private sector market, specifically citing proof of age to buy alcohol four times as an example of how citizens will benefit from a taxpayer-funded, free-to-use, government-operated digital ID.
- [The “Parents Over Platforms Act” Has Gotten Its Name Backwards](https://avpassociation.com/thought-leadership/the-parents-over-platforms-act-has-gotten-its-name-backwards/): The Parents Over Platforms Act was named backwards. It claims to put parents in control. The irony is that the platforms this proposed US Federal bill targets need do almost nothing new to comply with it, leaving parents no better off than today — while the Big Tech app store operators (primarily Apple and Google) that control access to almost every phone and tablet quietly gain yet more data and power. It should have been called the Platforms Over Parents Act.
- [The EU is offering a free government key to access the Internet](https://avpassociation.com/thought-leadership/the-eu-is-offering-a-free-government-key-to-access-the-internet/): The European Union's age verification 'app' (aka 'blueprint') is beginning to attract attention, and with that scrutiny has come a degree of confusion about what it is, what it does and how it fits into the wider age assurance ecosystem. It is worth setting out the position clearly, and understanding how it may operate alongside the existing, diverse, vibrant and innovative private sector market for highly effective age assurance solutions.
- [AI needs more than Age Inference to protect kids](https://avpassociation.com/thought-leadership/ai-needs-more-than-age-inference-to-protect-kids/): AI needs more than Age Inference to protect kids. 
- [AUSTRALIA: Lessons Learned from the implementation of the Social Media Minimum Age Act](https://avpassociation.com/thought-leadership/australia-lessons-learned-from-the-implementation-of-the-social-media-minimum-age-act/): The Age Verification Providers Association has produced a report, based on discussions with its members, examining the key lessons learned from the large-scale implementation of “Reasonable Steps” to prevent users under 16 from having social media accounts in Australia since 10 December 2025.
- [AUSTRALIA: The problem is not age assurance technology – it is that social media platforms are not doing enough checks](https://avpassociation.com/news-release/australia-the-problem-is-not-age-assurance-technology-it-is-that-social-media-platforms-are-not-doing-enough-checks/): Melbourne 22 April 2026 – The Age Verification Providers Association (AVPA), the global trade body for providers of age assurance technology, has today published a new report on the early implementation of Australia’s Social Media Minimum Age regime, concluding that the central challenge is not the capability of age assurance technology, but the limited and inconsistent use of it by social media platforms.
- [AVPA speaks to LBC’s Tom Swarbrick about Digital ID](https://avpassociation.com/thought-leadership/avpa-speaks-to-lbcs-tom-swarbrick-about-digital-id/): We spoke to Tom Swarbrick of LBC about the UK government's proposals for digital ID.
- [AVPA’s response to CDT, EPIC and Fairplay’s letter to the FTC about COPPA](https://avpassociation.com/thought-leadership/avpas-response-to-cdt-epic-and-fairplays-letter-to-the-ftc-about-coppa/): A recent letter to the Federal Trade Commission from Center for Digital Democracy (CDD), Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) and Fairplay raises a number of concerns about its COPPA Enforcement Policy Statement on age assurance. It is a thoughtful intervention and one that reflects a shared objective - ensuring that children are protected online without creating unnecessary risks to privacy.
- [AVPA responds to criticisms from computer scientists](https://avpassociation.com/thought-leadership/avpa-responds-to-criticisms-from-computer-scientists/): We set out below a short response to the main arguments put forward in a “Joint statement of security and privacy scientists and researchers on Age Assurance” signed by over 400 academics.  We welcome this new level of interest in the field but their letter raises important questions about privacy, security and centralisation. However, its central weakness is structural: It evaluates age assurance through the lens of worst case, centralised and identity heavy implementations, and proceeds on the implicit assumption that only such models are feasible. In doing so, it generalises from poorly designed or centralised deployments to the overall concept of age assurance itself, treating flawed examples as evidence of inevitable failure rather than asking whether carefully designed, standards based, decentralised, tokenised and multi method, privacy engineered alternatives that directly address the risks identified can proportionately reduce harm in practice while preserving fundamental rights.
- [AVPA corrects the record with US House Committee on Energy and Commerce](https://avpassociation.com/thought-leadership/5623/): We have submitted a letter to the US House Committee on Energy and Commerce in response to a letter submitted by Americans for Prosperity, the Center for Democracy and Technology, and the Software & Information Industry Association.
- [Federal Trade Commission Workshop summaries](https://avpassociation.com/thought-leadership/federal-trade-commission-workshop-summaries/): Below are summaries of the presentations and panel's from last week's FTC workshop. (Please note these have been in part machine-generated, so you are advised to refer to the video of the full proceedings to confirm exactly what was said by any speaker) which is available from the FTC website event page.  (Speakers are also welcome to contact us to amend the text below if it misrepresents them)
- [The changing landscape of age assurance – George Billinge](https://avpassociation.com/thought-leadership/the-changing-landscape-of-age-assurance-george-billinge/): 21 May 2024 | DefAI Project blog by George Billinge
- [Australia’s social media ban is working, but give it time.](https://avpassociation.com/thought-leadership/australias-social-media-ban-is-working-but-give-it-time/): The UK Government is considering it, and their Conservative Party has already announced that it intends to follow Australia’s lead by setting a minimum age of 16 for social media. Critics of the policy claim that it is not working in Australia, but the evidence does not support this premature conclusion.
- [USA: A Look at Key Kids Online Safety Federal Bills](https://avpassociation.com/thought-leadership/usa-a-look-at-key-kids-online-safety-federal-bills/): In the United States, a wave of federal bills is attempting to redefine how children, teens, and their parents interact with the digital world. Each proposal takes a different approach to online safety, privacy, and platform responsibility. What varies even more sharply is the standard of age assurance each bill relies upon. Some require verified knowledge, others accept parental attestation or platform metadata, and most continue to operate on self-declared age rather than evidence.
- [No, UK porn use was not halved by age verification.](https://avpassociation.com/thought-leadership/no-uk-porn-use-was-not-halved-by-age-verification/): Headlines (BBC, FT, Sky), based on data from Similarweb, have claimed that the use of leading porn sites has been cut by up to 47% in the UK, since the introduction of a comprehensive requirement for "highly effective age assurance".  We believe that these stats are quite misleading.  AI-based analysis reproduced below (and 'peer reviewed' by other AI models) calculates a much more modest estimate for the fall in user numbers - around 4% across the top 90 sites, rising to 15% for the best-known site.  Public data is limited, but three AI models agreed that the quoted figures were significantly inflated for two main reasons.
- [Lessons learned from UK “AV Day”](https://avpassociation.com/thought-leadership/lessons-learned-from-uk-av-day/): The Age Verification Providers Association has produced a report, based on discussions with our members, about the key lessons learned from the wide-scale implementation of "highly effective age assurance" in the UK on July 25th.
- [AVPA Response to Center for Democracy & Technology’s user research](https://avpassociation.com/thought-leadership/avpa-response-to-center-for-democracy-technologys-user-research/): The Center for Democracy & Technology (CDT) has published a brief which offers a useful snapshot of how a small group of US teens and parents feel about common age-verification methods. The sample is modest and qualitative by design, so it surfaces concerns rather than measuring broad public opinion. We always welcome research and insight of this nature but critically important technical capabilities and safeguards now widely available in modern age assurance solutions were missing from the picture painted for the participants before they shared their views.
- [PRESS RELEASE: AVPA welcomes Australia’s Age Assurance Technology Trial final report](https://avpassociation.com/news-release/press-release-avpa-welcomes-australias-age-assurance-technology-trial-final-report/): London, 31 August 2025 - The Age Verification Providers Association (AVPA), the global trade association for suppliers of age assurance technology, welcomes the publication of the Australian Government’s Age Assurance Technology Trial final report, conducted by the Age Check Certification Scheme, as an independent evaluation. The report sets out how a careful, standards-based assessment that was conducted at arm’s length from government and regulators, with a formal statement of impartiality and independent governance throughout.
- [The Online Safety Act: A First Amendment for the UK](https://avpassociation.com/thought-leadership/the-online-safety-act-a-first-amendment-for-the-uk/): The UK's Online Safety Act ("OSA") 2023 has faced criticism from some quarters, with detractors labeling it an instrument of censorship that stifles online expression. This narrative completely misrepresents the Act's purpose and effect. Far from censoring legal content, the OSA targets only illegal material, aligned with existing offline restrictions, while Section 22 introduces a groundbreaking statutory protection for freedom of expression in UK domestic law.
- [FAQ](https://avpassociation.com/uncategorized/faq/)
- [VPNs are not Kryptonite to age assurance.](https://avpassociation.com/thought-leadership/vpns-are-not-kryptonite-to-age-assurance/): VPNs (Virtual Private Networks) route a user’s internet traffic through an encrypted tunnel to a server in another location. They protect privacy, secure public Wi-Fi connections and, for many businesses, are essential to remote working. They also allow a user to appear as if they are connecting from a different country, perhaps one where age assurance to protect children online is not a legal requirement. Data shows VPN usage can spike significantly, such as a claimed 1400% surge in sign-ups around enforcement of laws like the UK's Online Safety Act, as users seek to bypass checks.
- [Age Verification providers welcome US Supreme Court decision](https://avpassociation.com/news-release/age-verification-providers-welcome-us-supreme-court-decision/): The Age Verification Providers Association, the global trade association for suppliers of age assurance technology, welcomed the judgement of the US Supreme Court permitting age verification as a constitutional means of protecting children from exposure to adult content online, in upholding Texas law HB1181.
- [PRESS RELEASE: AV providers congratulate Ofcom on doing what no other regulator has achieved…](https://avpassociation.com/news-release/press-release-av-providers-congratulate-ofcom-on-doing-what-no-other-regulator-has-achieved/): London, 26 June 2025 – The Age Verification Providers Association, the global trade association for suppliers of age assurance technology, congratulates Ofcom on winning the confidence of major names in the adult industry who have publicly committed to complying with the new UK law requiring 18+ age checks from the end of July.
- [Reflections on the Australian Trial’s Interim Report](https://avpassociation.com/thought-leadership/reflections-on-the-australian-trials-interim-report/): On the face of it, the publication of preliminary findings by the Age Assurance Technology Trial, commissioned by the Australian Government, was good news for the Age Verification industry.  The headline conclusion, that “age assurance can be done” in the Australian context, “privately, efficiently and effectively” was a big step forward from the previous position of the Australian authorities in 2023 that the market for our technology was “immature” (but note this original comment referred to the market not the technology itself).(Note 1)
- [Age Verification providers welcome findings of Australian Trial](https://avpassociation.com/news-release/age-verification-providers-welcome-findings-of-australian-trial/): The Age Verification Providers Association, the global trade association for suppliers of age assurance technology, welcomed the preliminary findings of the Age Assurance Technology Trial, commissioned by the Australian Government.
- [AVPA recommends changes to Draft EU Guidelines on protecting minors online](https://avpassociation.com/consultation-response/avpa-recommends-changes-to-draft-eu-guidelines-on-protecting-minors-online/): The Age Verification Providers Association (AVPA) has submitted detailed feedback to the European Commission on its draft guidelines under Article 28 of the Digital Services Act (DSA), which aims to improve the online safety of minors. While we support the overarching goal, we have serious concerns about the current approach and the implications for innovation, privacy, and inclusion.
- [Setting the Record Straight on Age Assurance: Why Today’s Technology Can Protect Children Without Violating Rights](https://avpassociation.com/thought-leadership/setting-the-record-straight-on-age-assurance-why-todays-technology-can-protect-children-without-violating-rights/): In her recent piece for the R Street Institute, Shoshana Weissmann argues that laws requiring online age verification are unworkable because “most children don’t have IDs” and “age-estimation technology errs by years.” These criticisms paint an outdated and overly pessimistic view of modern age assurance technology. As the trade body representing companies leading the development of privacy-preserving and effective age verification, we at the Age Verification Providers Association (AVPA) would like to offer a more balanced perspective.
- [White Paper – Age Assurance for 13-year-olds](https://avpassociation.com/thought-leadership/white-paper-age-assurance-for-13-year-olds/): Loading... Taking too long? Reload document | Open in new tab
- [Is App-Store based age assurance the silver bullet?](https://avpassociation.com/thought-leadership/is-app-store-based-age-assurance-the-silver-bullet/): There has been growing debate over whether app stores should take on the responsibility of age verification. Some tech companies, including Meta and Snap, have suggested that app stores should enforce age restrictions, preventing underage users from downloading apps intended for adults. Others, such as Google (which operates its own app store) and Apple, oppose this shift in responsibility from individual apps and platforms to app stores themselves.
- [AVPA comments in the US Congress](https://avpassociation.com/news-release/avpa-comments-in-the-us-congress/): "Thank you very much. It’s an honour and a privilege to speak here. As I look out at the sunset over the capital, I can hardly believe I’m here—so thank you for this opportunity.
- [2025 – The year of implementation for age assurance](https://avpassociation.com/thought-leadership/2025-the-year-of-implementation-for-age-assurance/): 2025 promises to be a very busy year in the world of age verification.  In this post, we, as the global trade body for suppliers of age verification and age estimation solutions, look forward to what to expect over the next 12 months.
- [How will the Supreme Court apply the US Constitution to online pornography?](https://avpassociation.com/thought-leadership/how-will-the-supreme-court-apply-the-us-constitution-to-online-pornography/): How does a constitution written over 200 years ago adapt its set of rules for governing to the age of the Internet? This is a question the US Supreme Court will tackle on January 15, when it considers if the elected representatives of the people of the Great State of Texas should be allowed to place common sense restrictions on adults wishing to access pornography online, in order to prevent children from stumbling across obscene content.

## Pages
- [Indonesia](https://avpassociation.com/indonesia/): Age verification and child online safety are now a significant part of Indonesia’s digital regulatory framework. The Government Regulation No. 17 of 2025 on the Governance of Electronic Systems for Child Protection (PP TUNAS) established a dedicated framework for protecting children from harmful online content, exploitation, cyberbullying, scams, digital addiction and risks to their personal data. The regulation came into force on 27 March 2025.
- [Age Connect from Yoti](https://avpassociation.com/age-connect-from-yoti/): Yoti acts as a network facilitator enabling proof of age from certified* third-party providers to be stored securely on a user’s device using “Yoti Keys”. This leverages standard technologies  such as passkeys to bind an anonymous age token directly to a user’s device, allowing the credential to be reused across different apps and websites without repeating the verification process.
- [European Countries Considering Social Media Delay’s](https://avpassociation.com/eu-countries-considering-social-media-delays/): Across Europe, governments are increasingly exploring a “social media delay” to restrict or better regulate children’s access to online platforms. These proposals are driven by growing concerns around youth mental health and online safety risks.
- [AI needs more than Age Inference to protect kids](https://avpassociation.com/ai-needs-more-than-age-inference/): Every major AI assistant available to the public today primarily relies on inference and self-attestation to assess whether a user might be a minor (and this is also the initial strategy being adopted by most social media platforms in Australia). Both approaches are systematically vulnerable to low-effort circumvention. It is time to say so plainly.
- [AVPA speaks to LBC’s Tom Swarbrick about Digital ID](https://avpassociation.com/avpa-speaks-to-lbcs-tom-swarbrick-about-digital-id/): We spoke to Tom Swarbrick of LBC about the UK government's proposals for digital ID.
- [AVPA evidence to UK Parliament on age checks below 18](https://avpassociation.com/avpa-evidence-to-uk-parliament-on-age-checks-below-18/): We have written to the House of Commons Science and Technology Committee following their hearing on social media age restrictions on March 11th to inform them about the technical capabilities of age assurance technologies.
- [App Store Accountability Act](https://avpassociation.com/app-store-accountability-act/): App Store Accountability Act (ASAA) proposals shift youth online protection upstream: from individual apps and websites to the app store layer (and, in some states, to developers as well). Instead of every app building its own age assurance solution, the model aims to make the app store establish the age category of the account holder (or device user) and, for minors, require ‘verifiable parental consent’ before they can download an app or make purchases. The ASAA is promoted as a response to children being asked to accept terms of service when downloading an app, as the ability of minors to agree to a contract is generally limited below the age of 18.
- [Relying Party Advisory Board](https://avpassociation.com/relying-party-advisory-board/): The Age Verification Providers Association (AVPA) has established a Relying Party Advisory Board (RPAB) to provide structured input from organisations that rely on age assurance technologies in their services, platforms or retail environments.
- [State Laws for AI & Chatbots](https://avpassociation.com/state-laws-for-ai-chatbots/): As of August 2026, a rapidly growing number of U.S. states have enacted laws regulating AI companions, conversational AI services and certain AI chatbots, particularly where minors are concerned. Many state efforts have also failed, thus far, in their attempts. State approaches now include AI-status disclosures, age assurance, parental tools, restrictions on sexual or harmful content, protections against emotional dependency, self-harm protocols, usage reminders and reporting requirements. Other states have passed legislation that remains awaiting gubernatorial action or have proposals carrying over into 2027.
- [##AVPA advises NIST on testing facial estimation](https://avpassociation.com/avpa-advises-nist-on-testing-facial-estimation/): The Association submitted feedback to the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in the USA on their plans to offer testing for facial age estimation.
- [OpenAge Initiative](https://avpassociation.com/openage-initiative/): The OpenAge Initiative, launched by k-ID, provides an interoperable framework for reusing age assurance results across multiple websites and apps. At the core of the framework is the AgeKey, a privacy-preserving digital credential that lets users prove that they meet an age threshold without revealing their identity.
- [EU AV App](https://avpassociation.com/eu-av-app/): The EU Age Verification App (EU AV App) became feature ready in April 2026 and can now be customised for national or commercial deployment. It supports privacy-preserving proof of age and compatibility with future EUDI Wallets. It provides a standard mechanism for users to prove their age online or in person without disclosing their identity, using privacy-preserving proof-of-age attestations issued within the eIDAS 2.0 trust framework.
- [United Arab Emirates](https://avpassociation.com/united-arab-emirates/): The United Arab Emirates has introduced a comprehensive federal framework for child protection in the digital environment through Federal Decree-Law No. 26 of 2025 on Child Digital Safety (the “Child Safety Law”).
- [India](https://avpassociation.com/india/): The Digital Personal Data Protection Act (DPDP Act), 2023, introduces significant age-based safeguards for digital platforms, including:
- [Enforcement](https://avpassociation.com/enforcement/): Enforcement in a Borderless Internet
- [Project DefAI](https://avpassociation.com/project-defai/): To investigate the dangers of presentation and injection attacks on age verification, possible defenses one can build against them, and the evaluation and standardisation approaches the industry would require to assess its readiness to withstand such attacks.
- [Conformity Assessments](https://avpassociation.com/conformity-assessments/): Conformity Assessment Bodies (“CABs”) are technical auditors.  They check whether organisations and systems are operating in line with particular standards.
- [ISO/IEC 27566-1](https://avpassociation.com/iso-iec-27566-1/): The International Organization for Standardization accepted a proposal from the UK, supported by the UK Government to define an ISO standard for age verification.
- [IEEE 2089.1](https://avpassociation.com/ieee-2089-1/): IEEE 2089.1 Standard for Online Age Verification was published in May 2024, the result of over two years of deliberation by a working group of industry experts from around the world.
- [Malaysia](https://avpassociation.com/malaysia/): Age verification and child online safety are part of Malaysia’s regulatory agenda, driven by concerns about children’s exposure to harmful content, cyberbullying, sexual exploitation and scams. In late 2025, the Malaysian Parliament passed the Online Safety Act 2025, which came into force on 1 January 2026.
- [Singapore](https://avpassociation.com/singapore/): Singapore operates a structured and proactive online safety regime, characterised by sector-specific regulation rather than a single horizontal platform liability statute. Child protection online is primarily driven through broadcasting and media regulation, backed by strong enforcement powers and clear expectations regarding age-restricted content. While Singapore does not prescribe a single approved age-verification method, age assurance is an established risk-mitigation control expected where services expose users to adult or harmful material. IMDA's approach focuses on platform accountability and effective safeguards rather than mandating user identification or a single technical solution.
- [New Zealand](https://avpassociation.com/new-zealand/): New Zealand
- [Australia](https://avpassociation.com/australia/): Australia now has one of the most operationalised age assurance regimes in the democratic world. Age assurance is driven through the Online Safety Act 2021 and its delegated instruments, enforced by the eSafety Commissioner. Two strands matter most in practice: mandatory industry codes for access to online pornography and other high impact adult material and the Social Media Minimum Age obligation (SMMA), which requires age-restricted social media platforms to take reasonable steps to prevent under 16s from holding accounts. The responsibility for age assurance sits with platforms/service providers rather than users or parents.
- [Asia Pacific](https://avpassociation.com/asia-pacific/): The Asia-Pacific (APAC) region was initially behind Europe in regulating online, but in recent years, there have been rapid developments with some of the most extensive new legislation found in this region.
- [Canada](https://avpassociation.com/canada/): Canada does not yet have a single overarching national online-safety law. Bill S-209 (Protecting Young Persons from Exposure to Pornography Act) would restrict the commercial provision of online pornography to young people and provides a defence where prescribed age-verification or age-estimation methods are used. Separately, the Government introduced Bill C-34, the Safe Social Media Act, in June 2026. Bill C-34 would establish a Digital Safety Commission and impose child-safety duties on regulated social-media and chatbot services. Both bills remain before Parliament.
- [Brazil’s Age Verification Law](https://avpassociation.com/brazils-age-verification-law/): A new Child Online Safety Bill in Brazil Bill 2628/2022, the Digital ECA signed into law on September 17, 2025, aims to protect children in digital environments. The law applies to any service or product aimed at children, as well as all pornographic websites available in Brazil, making it relevant across multiple sectors, from gaming and social media to e-commerce and entertainment platforms.
- [USA: A Look at Key Kids Online Safety Federal Bills](https://avpassociation.com/federal-law-developments/): In the United States, a wave of federal bills is attempting to redefine how children, teens, and their parents interact with the digital world. Each proposal takes a different approach to online safety, privacy, and platform responsibility. What varies even more sharply is the standard of age assurance each bill relies upon. Some require verified knowledge, others accept parental attestation or platform metadata, and most continue to operate on self-declared age rather than evidence.
- [Americas](https://avpassociation.com/americas/)
- [Ireland](https://avpassociation.com/ireland/): Ireland
- [Spain](https://avpassociation.com/spain/): Spain
- [Italy](https://avpassociation.com/italy/): Italy’s online safety framework combines EU law, national audiovisual regulation and data protection law, with a strong and increasingly enforcement-driven focus on age assurance and the protection of minors online. Italy has been particularly active in mandating age verification for access to pornography and in using data protection law to enforce age-related obligations.
- [Germany](https://avpassociation.com/germany/): Germany has one of the most developed and prescriptive age-assurance regimes in Europe. Online safety is driven primarily by youth-protection law rather than general platform regulation, with binding requirements for age verification on adult and harmful content. Germany’s system is characterised by formal approval of age-verification methods and active enforcement.
- [France](https://avpassociation.com/france/): France has one of the most developed and enforceable age-verification regimes in the European Union. The framework is primarily focused on preventing minors from accessing online pornographic content, supported by criminal law, sector-specific legislation, and active regulatory enforcement.
- [European Union](https://avpassociation.com/european-union/): Across the European Union, age verification has become a central policy mechanism for protecting minors online. The European Commission is pursuing a harmonised approach that enables users to demonstrate they meet minimum age requirements for age-restricted services while preserving privacy and minimising personal data sharing. This work is closely linked to the Digital Services Act (DSA), which places binding obligations on online platforms to mitigate risks to children, including exposure to harmful or inappropriate content.  But it builds on long-standing legal requirements under data protection laws (GDPR) and the Audio Visual Media Services Directive (AVMSD)
- [Europe](https://avpassociation.com/europe/)
- [United Kingdom](https://avpassociation.com/united-kingdom/): The UK has one of the most advanced and comprehensive regimes for online safety, with multiple laws creating a requirement for age assurance.
- [Reusability](https://avpassociation.com/reuseability/): There are a number of ways that an age check can be re-used, either to access the same service or other services, without repeating the process of proving your age.
- [##Australia’s world leading age assurance laws](https://avpassociation.com/australias-world-leading-age-verification-laws/): Australia is a leading jurisdiction in terms of online child safety regulation, with age assurance becoming central to how digital services manage access to content and platforms. New legal obligations and industry codes are in progressively coming into force which require online services to take meaningful steps to distinguish between children and adults online where those services facilitate social interaction or expose users to age-restricted material.
- [Interoperable Age Assurance](https://avpassociation.com/interoperable-age-assurance/): As demand for age assurance grows rapidly around the world, attention is increasingly turning to how this can be delivered more conveniently and cost-effectively, through interoperability, making a single age-check re-usable across multiple platforms.
- [##Digital Product Regulatory Innovation Network (DPRIN) – Modernising Regulation](https://avpassociation.com/digital-product-regulatory-innovation-network-dprin-modernising-regulation/): The Digital Product Regulatory Innovation Network (DPRIN) is a collaborative platform uniting regulators, industry experts, academics, and technology innovators to shape the future of product compliance and safety, primarily in the UK.  DPRIN’s mission is to modernise regulation through innovation, testing new digital tools and data-driven approaches that make it easier for businesses to demonstrate compliance and for regulators to verify it efficiently.  By encouraging open collaboration and practical experimentation, DPRIN helps bridge the gap between policy and technology. Its projects, such as developing digital compliance wallets and verifiable product credentials, aim to create safer marketplaces, enhance consumer trust, and reduce regulatory complexity.
- [ANZ Indo-Pacific Chapter](https://avpassociation.com/age-verification-providers-association-australasia/)
- [FAQ](https://avpassociation.com/faq/)
- [##Age verification demo page](https://avpassociation.com/age-verification-demo-page/): Watch how it takes less than one minute to prove your age using just your cellphone number to access an adult website (this is an exampe of an actual process operating in the UK today)
- [UK Digital Proof of Age (in person)](https://avpassociation.com/uk-digital-proof-of-age-in-person/): The AVPA has been working in partnership with the Proof of Age Standards Scheme (PASS) to enable the use of digital proofs of age in person across the UK.
- [Interoperability through AgeAware](https://avpassociation.com/interoperability-through-ageaware/): The AgeAware ecosystem enables interoperability across age assurance providers so a single age check can be re-used on multiples sites and apps.
- [Methods of Age Assurance](https://avpassociation.com/methods-of-age-assurance/)
- [##Demonstrating methods of age assurance](https://avpassociation.com/demonstrating-methods-of-age-assurance/): Our members offer a wide range of methods of age assurance, many of which are demonstrated below.
- [##Age Verification Method Demo Videos](https://avpassociation.com/avmethods/age-verification-method-demo-videos/): Ahead of the US Supreme Court hearing an appeal against Texas law HB 1181, we arranged a showcase in Washington DC where a number of members of the Association demonstrated the full range of methods of privacy-preserving age verification and age estimation that are the state-of-the-art for our industry.
- [State laws for social media](https://avpassociation.com/us-state-age-assurance-laws-for-social-media/): As of August 2026: at least 21 states have enacted laws addressing minors’ social media access, addictive feeds, age-appropriate design, or closely related online-safety obligations but litigation has left the landscape split between (a) laws currently enforceable, (b) laws enjoined, and (c) laws enacted but not yet in force (or awaiting rulemaking). The current overall trend is that rapid an evolving legislative momentum is outpacing constitutional clarity & associated challenges.
- [State laws for adult content](https://avpassociation.com/us-state-age-verification-laws-for-adult-content/)

## Events
- [INCYBER Europe](https://avpassociation.com/events/incyber-europe/): LILLE GRAND PALAIS, FRANCE
- [Growing Up in the Digital Age Summit](https://avpassociation.com/events/growing-up-in-the-digital-age-summit/): In Brussels
- [CIPL Roundtable](https://avpassociation.com/events/cipl-roundtable/): CIPL is hosting an invitation-only roundtable after the conclusion of TrustCon 2026.
- [Webinar: Age Assurance in Practice — From Policy Intent to Reality](https://avpassociation.com/events/webinar-age-assurance-in-practice-from-policy-intent-to-reality/): Hear from an expert panel including speakers from OfCom, the ICO, Internet Matters, and more on what teams need to understand about effective age verification solutions.
- [Connect to Protect Conference](https://avpassociation.com/events/connect-to-protect-conference/): Register here.
- [FOSI 2026 European Forum](https://avpassociation.com/events/fosi-2026-european-forum/): In Brussels
- [2026 Technical Innovations for AI Policy (TIAP) Conference](https://avpassociation.com/events/2026-technical-innovations-for-ai-policy-tiap-conference/): Iain is speaking, in Washington DC
- [Connect to Protect – Children & Youth at Risk](https://avpassociation.com/events/connect-to-protect-children-youth-at-risk/): In Athens
- [15th Annual European Data Protection & Privacy Conference 2026](https://avpassociation.com/events/15th-annual-european-data-protection-privacy-conference-2026/): https://dataprotection-conference.com/
- [Future Identity Finance](https://avpassociation.com/events/future-identity-finance-2/): In London
- [Agentic Internet Workshop #3](https://avpassociation.com/events/agentic-internet-workshop-3/): Mountain View, California
- [IIWXLIII](https://avpassociation.com/events/iiwxliii/): Mountain View, California
- [Agentic Internet Workshop #2](https://avpassociation.com/events/agentic-internet-workshop-2/): Mountain View, California
- [Internet Identity Workshop IIWXLII](https://avpassociation.com/events/internet-identity-workshop-iiwxlii/): Mountain View, California
- [DID:UNCONF AFRICA](https://avpassociation.com/events/didunconf-africa-2/): 10 Marais Rd, Stellenbosch Central, Stellenbosch, 7600, South Africa
- [TES Affiliate Conference Spain 2026](https://avpassociation.com/events/tes-affiliate-conference-spain-2026/): https://tesaffiliateconferences.com/
- [Australia/New Zealand Chapter](https://avpassociation.com/events/australia-new-zealand-chapter/): Online
- [Federal Trade Commission Workshop](https://avpassociation.com/events/federal-trade-commission-workshop/): https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/events/2026/01/age-verification-workshop
- [AVN Conference](https://avpassociation.com/events/avn-conference/): Virgin Hotels, Las Vegas
- [UK Government 2026: IfG’s annual conference](https://avpassociation.com/events/uk-government-2026-ifgs-annual-conference/): 2 Carlton Gardens, London, SW1Y 5AA - United Kingdom
- [dice 2026](https://avpassociation.com/events/dice-2026/): dice2026 is happening June 22 - 24, 2026
- [RightsCon](https://avpassociation.com/events/rightscon/): For more information and to register, please visit their website here.
- [Best Practices in the Design and Management of Content Review Systems Workshop](https://avpassociation.com/events/best-practices-in-the-design-and-management-of-content-review-systems-workshop/): Registration is open to TSPA members and is under Chatham House Rule.
- [Best Practices in the Design and Management of Content Review Systems Workshop](https://avpassociation.com/events/best-practices-in-the-design-and-management-of-content-review-systems-woskshop/): Registration is open to TSPA members and is under Chatham House Rule. Register for January 27 (Session 1) here
- [2026 APAC Summit](https://avpassociation.com/events/2026-apac-summit/): 4th Annual APAC Summit in Singapore on 10 November 2026 at the PARKROYAL COLLECTION Marina Bay
- [2026 EMEA Summit](https://avpassociation.com/events/2026-emea-summit/): 4th Annual EMEA Summit in Dublin, Ireland on 18 May 2026 at The Gibson Hotel
- [Age Assurance Industry Awards 2026](https://avpassociation.com/events/age-assurance-industry-awards-2026/): Submit your nomination here: https://form.jotform.com/253063421328046
- [DIGITALEUROPE’s Flagship Masters of Digital 2026](https://avpassociation.com/events/digitaleuropes-flagship-masters-of-digital-2026/): Register here.
- [UK Internet Governance Forum Meeting 2025](https://avpassociation.com/events/uk-internet-governance-forum-meeting-2025/): https://ukigf.org.uk/events/uk-igf-2025/
- [IAPP Europe Data Protection Congress 2025](https://avpassociation.com/events/iapp-europe-data-protection-congress-2025/): In Brussels
- [Expert Panel – Age Restrictions](https://avpassociation.com/events/expert-panel-age-restrictions-2/)
- [Internet Identity Workshop](https://avpassociation.com/events/internet-identity-workshop-2/): Computer History Museum
- [Global Age Assurance Summit 2026](https://avpassociation.com/events/global-age-assurance-summit-2026/): DoubleTree by Hilton in Manchester Piccadilly
- [FOSI 2025 Annual Conference](https://avpassociation.com/events/fosi-2025-annual-conference/): https://fosi.org/events/
- [APPG on Digital ID](https://avpassociation.com/events/appg-on-digital-id/)
- [UK Digital Identity & Attributes Trust Framework Working Group](https://avpassociation.com/events/uk-digital-identity-attributes-trust-framework-working-group-2/)
- [UK Digital Identity & Attributes Trust Framework Working Group](https://avpassociation.com/events/uk-digital-identity-attributes-trust-framework-working-group/)
- [Expert Panel – Age Restrictions](https://avpassociation.com/events/expert-panel-age-restrictions/)
- [Trust & Safety Research Conference](https://avpassociation.com/events/trust-safety-research-conference-2/): https://cyber.fsi.stanford.edu/content/trust-and-safety-research-conference-2025
- [Liminal Demo Day – Future Proofing Age Assurance](https://avpassociation.com/events/liminal-demo-day-future-proofing-age-assurance/): https://liminal.co/session/demo-day/future-proofing-age-assurance/
- [POLITICO AI & Tech Summit 2025](https://avpassociation.com/events/politico-ai-tech-summit-2025/): https://www.politico.eu/ai-tech-uk-summit-2025/?utm_source=Marketing-Cloud&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=Event_PolicyEvent_EU_EventCampaign_AI&TechSummitUK2025_20250508-AI_&_Tech_Summit_UK_2025_-_ROM3_speakers
- [5Rights Virtual Launch of The Children and AI Design Code](https://avpassociation.com/events/5rights-virtual-launch-of-the-children-and-ai-design-code/): https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/d61abacc-9179-48ee-a735-f225d53f76b3@d3887915-3e5e-4bc9-8282-cbe7e2acc760
- [MEF Connects ID & Wallet](https://avpassociation.com/events/mef-connects-id-wallet/): https://mobileecosystemforum.com/event/mef-connects-identity-wallets/?utm_source=MEF+Global&utm_campaign=9725478500-wallets&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_4622d3fe7b-9725478500-51123079
- [Trust & Safety Forum](https://avpassociation.com/events/trust-safety-forum/): Lille, France
- [Global Age Assurance Standards Summit](https://avpassociation.com/events/global-age-assurance-summit-2/): In Amsterdam.
- [UK: Ofcom The Online Safety Act explained: How to comply](https://avpassociation.com/events/uk-ofcom-the-online-safety-act-explained-how-to-comply/): https://giggabox.eventsair.com/ofcom---the-online-safety-act-explained-how-to-comply/event-overview
- [FID Fraud & FinCrime event](https://avpassociation.com/events/fid-fraud-fincrime-event/): https://thefutureidentity.com/events/europe/fid-fraud-fincrime-spring/
- [Future Identity Finance](https://avpassociation.com/events/future-identity-finance/): https://thefutureidentity.com/events/europe/fid-finance/
- [FID Fraud & FinCrime](https://avpassociation.com/events/fid-fraud-fincrime/): https://thefutureidentity.com/events/europe/fid-fraud-fincrime-summer/?utm_campaign=FID%20F%26F%20EUR%20MAY%202025&utm_source=referral&utm_medium=referral&utm_term=avpa&utm_content=regsiter-cta
- [Future Identity Customer](https://avpassociation.com/events/future-identity-customer/): https://thefutureidentity.com/events/europe/fid-customer/?utm_campaign=FIDC%20EUR%202025&utm_source=referral&utm_medium=referral&utm_term=avpa&utm_content=regsiter-cta

## Members
- [Helix](https://avpassociation.com/member/helix/): Age estimation from voice in under four seconds. No ID upload, no documents, nothing sent to a server. Meet every major age-gating law with a single integration.
- [Socure](https://avpassociation.com/member/socure/): The industry’s only fully vertically integrated platform, delivering unparalleled auto-approval and fraud capture rates for verifying consumers, businesses and employees.
- [OCR Studio](https://avpassociation.com/member/ocr-studio/):  
- [deepidv](https://avpassociation.com/member/deepidv/): deepidv is a verification engine and agentic compliance suite that helps organisations verify identity, estimate age, and meet compliance obligations across online and physical channels. Our platform combines document-based identity verification, reusable digital identity, biometric authentication (FaceX/TripleLock), facial age estimation, deepfake and synthetic media detection (deepeye), credit-bureau-backed verification, and zero-knowledge age attestation (deepage) into a single back-office, API, and SDK surface.
- [AgeVerif](https://avpassociation.com/member/ageverif/): Global Modular Age Verification Solutions
- [Concordium](https://avpassociation.com/member/corncordium/): Smart Money starts here.
- [MyMahi](https://avpassociation.com/member/mymahi/): MyMahi is a digital-platform designed to support learners through their educational journeys, with emphasis on identity, wellbeing, and future pathways.
- [KJR](https://avpassociation.com/member/kjr/): KJR specialises in software testing and trusted AI adoption. We are a proud Australian-owned company which believes in harnessing technology for meaningful impact.
- [Shufti](https://avpassociation.com/member/shufti/): Shufti’s due diligence forms allow you to collect user data with predefined or custom industry models to ensure regulatory compliance. As part of the verification process, we make it easy to verify a user’s age to Identify minors and restrict their access to protect your business from non-compliance fines. Shufti also extracts address information from multiple documents with sophisticated OCR technology to ensure the accuracy of all provided addresses.
- [GeoComply](https://avpassociation.com/member/geocomply/): GeoComply provides location analytics services for digital platforms to support their compliance and risk programs. As laws and regulations—including age verification regulations—vary across countries, states, provinces, and other jurisdictions, online platforms need to be able to segment their user traffic by geographic location to ensure applicable laws are applied to users within specific jurisdictions.
- [ShareRing](https://avpassociation.com/member/sharering/): ShareRing is a next‑generation Decentralized Digital Identity Platform that empowers individuals and businesses to reclaim control over their digital selves. Built on robust blockchain technology, ShareRing delivers seamless, secure, and privacy‑first identity verification solutions across a wide range of industry sectors. ShareRing’s innovative platform enables websites, apps, and financial institutions to authenticate users effortlessly—using advanced AI, biometric verification, and alternative methods—all while maintaining complete data sovereignty. Unobtrusive, behind‑the‑scenes KYC checks ensure regulatory compliance and enhanced security without compromising privacy. Completely Decentralized:
Empower users with self‑sovereign identities—no central authority retains your personal data. Advanced Fraud Detection:
Leverage cutting‑edge AI, biometric matching, and real‑time anomaly detection to secure every transaction. Privacy‑First Architecture:
Utilize a decentralized system that ensures no personally identifiable information is stored centrally. Experience frictionless digital interactions with ShareRing—whether proving your identity online, onboarding new customers, or adapting to evolving regulatory requirements. Integrate ShareRing seamlessly via REST API, JavaScript SDK, mobile and web apps, or use it as a standalone solution. ShareRing Features Include: Self‑Sovereign Identity: Secure personal data storage and user-controlled credentials. Comprehensive Identity Verification: Multi‑layer authentication ensuring robust security. Real‑Time Consent & Data Exchange: Transparent interactions for remote and in‑person engagements. Certified Digital Credentials: Blockchain‑backed proof for seamless verification. Passwordless Authentication: Leveraging advanced FIDO2 protocols for secure access. Scalable Integrations: Flexible API and SDK support for effortless implementation across various platforms. Discover a future where your digital identity is truly yours with ShareRing.
- [IKETech](https://avpassociation.com/member/iketech/): At IKE Tech, we provide advanced at point of use continuous age gating technology designed to strengthen security and ensure that only authorized users can access and operate technology-based products. Our cutting edge innovation is equipped with a proprietary Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) chip that is lightweight, low-cost, and energy-efficient, providing secure activation/deactivation of any device for enhanced protection. Our biometric authentication technology offers a 2-step process to ensure secure access. Paired with patented blockchain security, our system guarantees data integrity, preventing tampering and counterfeiting by storing device authentication tokens in an immutable framework, ensuring maximum protection for users and devices.
- [CitizenCard](https://avpassociation.com/member/citizencard/): Prove your age and identity - enter pubs, clubs, take domestic flights, use as Voter ID and buy age-restricted goods in shops + get discounts online
- [Centrebound Limited](https://avpassociation.com/member/centrebound/): Safeguarding Your Business Through Expert Compliance Testing
- [Netsweeper](https://avpassociation.com/member/netsweeper/): Netsweeper has been Enforcing the laws on the Internet for over 25 years. Netsweeper's solution will Augment the Age Verification Solutions showing Governments that any Age Verification Solution can be enforced assisting in the final decision of implementing an Age Verification Solution as it can be enforced.  The Internet is not only about the country you are dealing with its about the world. The worlds URL's and IP addresses are self regulating and will do as they please.  Governments currently hire Netsweeper to Enforce the Laws of Child Exploitation, Stopping Terrorism on the Internet and now Stopping Scams on the Internet. Netsweeper would allow the WEb Sites that Comply to the Age Verification Rules and Laws and Stop/Block in that Jurisdiction the Web Sites and IP addresses that are not following the Age Verification Rules and laws in that Country.  This will have a significant uptake to the Age Verification compliance and Usage. This will ensure Efficiency, Effectiveness of the AV program and ensure execution.
- [Veratad](https://avpassociation.com/member/veratad/): Orchestrate customer age checks and ensure compliance with the industry’s most flexible online age verification solution.
- [NEEDEMAND](https://avpassociation.com/member/needemand/): Method of verification: BorderAge is an AI-based, age-verification solution that does not require the user to share any personal data. BorderAge’s absence of personal data collection ensures that it does not conflict with privacy protection laws and maximizes user acceptance.
- [BT Group](https://avpassociation.com/member/bt-group/): We’re one of the world’s leading communications services companies. The solutions we sell are integral to modern life. Our purpose is as simple as it is ambitious: we connect for good. There are no limits to what people can do when they connect. And as technology changes our world, connections are becoming even more important to everyday life.
- [Incode](https://avpassociation.com/member/incode/): Incode Technologies is a leader in the identity trust revolution, backed by investors including General Atlantic, CapitalOne, Coinbase, DN Capital, Framework Venture Partners, and 3L. At Incode, we're redefining the landscape of identity verification, KYB, and KYC with our in-house developed state-of-the-art AI and ML technologies. OUR THREE FRICTIONLESS WAYS TO VERIFY A USER’S AGE Stay compliant without requiring unnecessary information or manual data entry that can cause up to 60% of users to drop-out of your sign-up flow. That's because traditional age checks are commonly considered intrusive and annoying. Incode offers three painless ways to verify a user's age without hurting the user experience. Age Estimation User age estimated in seconds with a quick biometric selfie. Benefit from a 99.9% true positive rate, the highest in the industry. Document Based Verification A two-step process combining document validation and a selfie. Database Verification Layer in a comprehensive check when needed that verifies users' details against a vast database. Our platform's efficiency is reflected in our performance metrics – 98% of users are verified on the first try, with an average time of just 1.5 seconds to verify users. This efficiency translates to substantial savings, with $170M saved annually through prevented fraud. Over 100 million users are verified with Incode each year, demonstrating our global reach and trust.
- [Envoc](https://avpassociation.com/member/envoc/): Onboard genuine users in seconds, while protecting your business from identity fraud with the most advanced detection capabilities available. Our cutting-edge technology ensures that only verified users can access your system, giving you peace of mind that your organization is secure.
- [OpenAge](https://avpassociation.com/member/opale/): OpenAge
- [Luciditi](https://avpassociation.com/member/luciditi/): Luciditi™ is a Reusable Digital Identity Platform with a specific focus on Age proofing technology.  It can be applied to a wide range of industry sectors, in particular those effected by new legislation such as the UK Online Safety Act 2023.
- [Kids Web Services](https://avpassociation.com/member/kidswebservices/): KWS is a suite of tools and services provided to developers for free to help them manage youth audiences. Our Parent Verification and Consent Management products are relied on by some of the largest games and platforms in the world. Kids Web Services Ltd is part of the Epic Games group.
- [Fujitsu](https://avpassociation.com/member/fujitsu/): An End-to-End Solution for Retail Age Assurance
- [BlueCheck](https://avpassociation.com/member/bluecheck/): BlueCheck safeguards hundreds of businesses by providing flexible and customer friendly identity solutions.
- [FaceTec](https://avpassociation.com/member/facetec/): FaceTec's pioneering 3D Face Biometrics are fast becoming the global standard in secure onboarding, KYC, and ongoing authentication, stopping ID fraud and unauthorized access for millions of users on six continents. FaceTec is relied upon for many of the world's leading organizations in high-risk/high-value environments, including IAM-IDV, financial services, mobile payments, border security, connected transportation, blockchain/crypto currency, online dating, and much more.
- [Innovative Technology](https://avpassociation.com/member/innovative-technology/): Method of Age Verification: Age estimation based on Artifical Intelligence algorithms. ICU runs all algorithms locally on the ICU hardware - which requires no internet connection. This result in a total off-line solution with unlimited age reads for a single one-off cost. There is also an option for access to an API for a total software solution.
- [Privately](https://avpassociation.com/member/privately/): We are an innovative technology company specialising in AI driven Age Assurance and online safety solutions, designed to meet the needs of diverse industries. As a GDPR-compliant company, our focus is on privacy-preserving technologies that enhance online safety for children and ensure age-appropriate services and products. By integrating our innovative solutions into diverse platforms, we create safer digital environments while upholding the highest privacy standards.
- [Age Check Certification Scheme](https://avpassociation.com/member/age-check-certification-services-limited/): The Age Check Certification Scheme is an independent 3rd party certification scheme for providers of age restricted goods, content or services. We test that age check systems work. The scheme can be utilised to provide full conformity assessment in accordance with all aspects of age restricted sales. Our scheme, backed by the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund, have developed an award-winning Android & iOS App, deployed to 18/19 year old test purchasers throughout all of the UK postcode areas – enabling us to offer a fully configurable test purchasing service for our clients.
- [Serve Legal](https://avpassociation.com/member/serve-legal/): Serve Legal is the market leading provider of independent AV and compliance auditing services in the UK & Ireland. We deliver robust audit programmes for leading businesses across many sectors including grocery retail, gambling , hospitality & leisure, online delivery and sports broadcasters. Our highly accurate auditing data is recognised as a leading compliance currency, helping our clients improve performance and protect their risks with revenue, customers and responsible retailing reputation.
- [OneID](https://avpassociation.com/member/oneid/): OneID® provides real-time verification that’s speedy, simple and safe. Meet compliance and deliver a frictionless experience to your customers with our highly effective and privacy preserving solution that’s UK government certified.
- [Yoti](https://avpassociation.com/member/yoti/): Sectors: both online ecommerce of age restricted goods, Social Media, Live Streaming, Gaming, Gambling, Alcohol, Vaping & Tobacco, Offensive Weapons; Law Enforcement, Non Profits (e.g.child safety hotlines), Parental Consent
- [Verifymy](https://avpassociation.com/member/verifymyage/): Verifymy was founded out of the frustration of a lack of fit-for-purpose age verification solutions available to online businesses. Prior to Verifymy, age verification was expensive, complex and inefficient.
- [Experian](https://avpassociation.com/member/experian/): Age verification is an important element of day-to-day responsible business activity across a variety of industries to ensure services are only delivered to those who are old enough to receive them.
- [AgeChecked](https://avpassociation.com/member/agechecked/): This is incredibly important as it gives your customer choices meaning they are more likely to pass the age verification process. The more passes you get, the greater the revenue for your online business.

## Questions
- [8.7 Australia: What does the law require?](https://avpassociation.com/question/australia-what-does-the-law-require/): The Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Act requires major social media platforms to take reasonable steps to prevent under 16s from holding accounts, effective December 2025. Separate industry codes require age assurance for pornography and other high risk services. The eSafety Commissioner enforces the regime, with penalties for platforms, not for children or parents. 
- [8.8 Australia: What has happened since it took effect?](https://avpassociation.com/question/5904/): Nearly five million under 16 accounts have been deactivated or restricted. The government’s independent Age Assurance Technology Trial, which evaluated 48 providers before commencement, found age assurance can be done privately, robustly and effectively. Compliance reviews have focused on platforms whose implementations were too easy to retry or bypass, and the government has moved to double maximum penalties.  
- [8.6 United States: How widespread are these laws?](https://avpassociation.com/question/united-states-how-widespread-are-these-laws/): More than 20 states now require age verification for sites with significant adult content, and the legislative trend is expanding to app stores, with states including Utah and Texas requiring app stores to verify ages and obtain parental consent for minors’ downloads. Federal proposals build on the same principles. 
- [8.5 United States: Is age verification constitutional?](https://avpassociation.com/question/united-states-is-age-verification-constitutional/): The Supreme Court answered this in June 2025 in the Free Speech Coalition v Paxton case, upholding Texas’s age verification law for pornographic websites. The Court held that requiring proof of age to access material that is obscene to minors is consistent with the First Amendment. The ruling is specific to content harmful to minors rather than a blank cheque for all age gating, but claims that age verification laws are inherently unconstitutional no longer reflect the law of the land. 
- [8.4 European Union: What is the EU age verification app or “mini wallet”?](https://avpassociation.com/question/european-union-what-is-the-eu-age-verification-app-or-mini-wallet/): The Commission has published a white label age verification solution, feature complete since April 2026, that member states can adopt directly or integrate into national apps. It lets users prove they are over 18 without revealing anything else, and is built on almost the same specifications as the European Digital Identity Wallet being rolled out across all member states, with front runner countries including France, Denmark, Greece, Italy and Spain deploying it first. It is a working model of the approach this FAQ describes: the proof sits on the user’s device, and no central database is involved.  It is not a legal requirement to use this app, and some users may prefer not to use a government-controlled solution in all situations. 
- [8.3 European Union: What does the law require?](https://avpassociation.com/question/european-union-what-does-the-law-require/): The Digital Services Act requires platforms to protect minors, and the European Commission’s guidelines identify age assurance as a key measure for services carrying adult content and other age restricted risks. Before the DSA, GDPR and the AVMSD also created age-restrictions but enforcement was limited. Several member states, including France, have additionally legislated for mandatory age verification for pornography at national level and recently the Court of Justice of the EU enabled such states to enforce their own laws against services established elsewhere in the EU. 
- [8.2 United Kingdom: What about age restricted goods, such as alcohol and knives?](https://avpassociation.com/question/united-kingdom-what-about-age-restricted-goods-such-as-alcohol-and-knives/): Online retail has its own rules. Deliveries of bladed articles must be verified as being handed to an adult under the Offensive Weapons Act, and alcohol retailers must operate age verification under licensing law.
- [8.1 United Kingdom: Is it being enforced?](https://avpassociation.com/question/united-kingdom-is-it-being-enforced/): Yes, actively. Ofcom has opened dozens of investigations and issued its first fines against non compliant sites, and the large majority of the most visited adult services now operate age assurance for UK users. Ofcom and the Information Commissioner’s Office have jointly confirmed that age assurance can and must be delivered in a privacy preserving way, and are reporting publicly on its effectiveness.  They have also extended the requirement for highly effective age assurance to the enforcement of 13 as the minimum age often specified in a site’s terms and conditions, and under Article 8 of GDPR which requires parental consent before a young child can give permission for their personal data to be processed. 
- [8.0 United Kingdom: What does the law require?](https://avpassociation.com/question/united-kingdom-what-does-the-law-require/): Under the Online Safety Act, services that allow pornography have had to use highly effective age assurance since July 2025, and platforms likely to be accessed by children must protect them from other harmful content. Ofcom is the regulator. Its guidance names approved approaches including facial age estimation, open banking, ID matching and mobile operator checks, sets the four criteria of technical accuracy, robustness, reliability and fairness, and states that self-declaration alone is not age assurance. 
- [7.3 What should platforms, regulators and legislators require?](https://avpassociation.com/question/what-should-platforms-regulators-and-legislators-require/): The AVPA’s position is that good age assurance regulation should require: 
- [7.2 Why not make app stores or devices do all age checks instead?](https://avpassociation.com/question/why-not-make-app-stores-or-devices-do-all-age-checks-instead/): Device level and app-store approaches can help in some contexts, especially where a user wants a reusable age proof set up once, and several US states are legislating in this direction. But they are not a complete substitute for service level accountability. Many risks arise inside websites, apps and accounts after installation, on shared or second-hand devices, and on the open web that app stores never touch. A good system allows privacy preserving reuse of age proofs, whether from a device, a wallet or a provider for lower risk use-cases, while keeping clear duties on the service that create or distribute higher risks. The two models are complements, not rivals, serving different use-cases. 
- [7.1 What standards apply to age assurance?](https://avpassociation.com/question/what-standards-apply-to-age-assurance/): The ISO/IEC 27566 series establish a global framework for age assurance systems, building on the pioneering BSI PAS 1296:2018. IEEE 2089.1, approved in 2024, defines standardised levels of age assurance to support consistent regulation and interoperability worldwide.  Liveness and spoofing defences are tested against the ISO 30107 presentation attack standards, information security is managed under ISO 27001 and data protection law, such as the GDPR, applies on top of all of it. 
- [7.0 How are providers tested, audited and certified?](https://avpassociation.com/question/how-are-providers-tested-audited-and-certified/): Independent, government accredited certification bodies test providers’ claims rather than taking them on trust. Auditors examine accuracy, security, privacy and retention practices against published standards, including whether data really is deleted when the provider says it is. Certification must be renewed periodically, complaints are investigated and certificates can be withdrawn. Certified providers appear on public registers, so websites, regulators, journalists and consumers can all check who has passed. When we describe what a well-designed system does, certification is what turns that description from a promise into a verifiable property. 
- [6.5 Many websites are based abroad. How can these laws be enforced?](https://avpassociation.com/question/many-websites-are-based-abroad-how-can-these-laws-be-enforced/): The same way other internet laws are enforced: against the service, not the office address. Regulators can fine companies that serve their residents wherever the company sits, and where lawmakers have anticipated this challenge, escalate by requiring payment providers and advertisers to withdraw services, or ultimately having access blocked. In practice, most major regulated services are likely to comply rather than lose a market. Enforcement is also getting easier as jurisdictions converge: with the UK, the EU, Australia and a growing list of US states all requiring age assurance, compliance is becoming the global default, and there is already extensive cooperation between regulators. 
- [6.4 Isn’t keeping children safe online their parents’ responsibility?](https://avpassociation.com/question/isnt-keeping-children-safe-online-their-parents-responsibility/): Parents and legal guardians have an important role, and age assurance is a tool that finally makes it feasible to exercise that role effectively.  
- [6.3 Don’t children have rights to information and participation online?](https://avpassociation.com/question/dont-children-have-rights-to-information-and-participation-online/): Yes, and age assurance done properly serves those rights rather than undermining them. Age assurance should be used to restrict access to content and services that are genuinely age restricted or harmful to children, not to block children from information, advice, support, education or participation. Where a service contains both restricted and beneficial content, the correct answer is proportionate design, not crude exclusion.  
- [6.2 Could it harm LGBTQI+ users, vulnerable users or young people seeking help?](https://avpassociation.com/question/could-it-harm-lgbtqi-users-vulnerable-users-or-young-people-seeking-help/): These concerns deserve direct answers, because for someone not yet out in a hostile household, school, workplace, town, region or country, the fear of being identified is real. The best protection lies in double-blind architecture: the website never learns who you are and a certified provider keeps no user linked record of which sites requested checks, so an age check cannot out anyone. Methods that need no ID serve people who cannot safely use official documents. 
- [6.1 Could age assurance expand into a general permission system for the internet?](https://avpassociation.com/question/could-age-assurance-expand-into-a-general-permission-system-for-the-internet/): It should not, and the AVPA does not support that outcome. Age assurance should be limited to defined age restricted risks, with clear legal authority, proportionality, data minimisation and independent oversight. We do not support general purpose identity checks for ordinary internet use. The point of age assurance is to prove a narrow attribute, not to create a general licence to browse, speak or read online, and the technologies described in this FAQ are deliberately built so they cannot serve as identity infrastructure: they carry no identity data. Mission creep is a policy choice, not a property of the technology, and it is one legislators can and should rule out in the laws they write.  Liberal democracies will not find it any easier to introduce ID checks because age assurance is already in place (unless those who oppose ID checks continue to conflate them with age checks and persuade the public that ID checks are already in place) and totalitarian regimes tend not to be restrained in any case. 
- [6.0 Does age assurance censor the internet?](https://avpassociation.com/question/does-age-assurance-censor-the-internet/): No content is removed or banned by an age check. Adults retain access to everything they could lawfully see before, after a check that takes seconds, exactly as an adult can buy any legal product after showing ID at a till. In 2025, the US Supreme Court upheld age verification requirements for pornography, and arguably content harmful to minors more broadly, on the basis that they impose only an incidental burden on adults. Age assurance is also narrower than the alternatives usually proposed when it is absent, such as banning services outright or filtering content for everyone. It applies the offline settlement society reached long ago to the online world, while leaving adults’ choices untouched.
- [5.4 Is age inference just behavioural profiling by another name?](https://avpassociation.com/question/is-age-inference-just-behavioural-profiling-by-another-name/): It should not be, and the distinction is worth drawing sharply. Age inference is strongest and least intrusive when it rests on verifiable facts already established for another legitimate purpose: an account that holds a mortgage, a payment instrument that requires adulthood, a trusted attribute, such as a commercial pilot’s licence from a digital wallet. It is weaker and more intrusive when it relies on opaque behavioural profiling of what users watch, type or click. The AVPA supports clear limits: inference should be explainable, proportionate, tested and privacy preserving, and should not be used to justify tracking that would not otherwise happen. 
- [5.3 Is asking for a date of birth, plus the platform’s own signals, enough?](https://avpassociation.com/question/is-asking-for-a-date-of-birth-plus-the-platforms-own-signals-enough/): Most regulations require a degree of age assurance proportionate to the risk. A tick box or date of birth field is not age assurance: Ofcom’s guidance says expressly that self-declaration alone does not count, and that a highly effective process must be technically accurate, robust, reliable and fair. Layering weak internal signals on top of self-declaration does not automatically make it highly effective either.  
- [5.2 Won’t children just use VPNs, borrowed IDs or fake accounts?](https://avpassociation.com/question/wont-children-just-use-vpns-borrowed-ids-or-fake-accounts/): Some older teenagers will try, just as some use fake IDs in shops, and no one concludes from fake IDs that shops should stop checking. Determined circumvention takes deliberate effort, and that effort is the point. Age checks are most protective against the vast majority of exposure, which is casual and unlooked for: content served into a feed or reached in one click which children then stumble across. That path closes. A teenager who configures a VPN to evade a check knows they are breaking a rule, which is a very different situation from a ten-year-old inadvertently being exposed to pornography, and one parents are far better placed to supervise.  
- [5.1 Didn’t age assurance fail in Australia?](https://avpassociation.com/question/didnt-age-assurance-fail-in-australia/): No, and the claim deserves a precise answer because it is now common in litigation and lobbying. The trial findings above still stand and has not been retracted. Since the law took effect in December 2025, millions of underage accounts have been removed. Where children kept or regained access, the regulator’s compliance reviews traced this mainly to implementation choices by platforms, such as allowing unlimited retries of age checks or letting users simply correct their declared age, rather than to the underlying technology. The response has been tightening enforcement, including a proposal to double maximum fines and giving the regulator powers to inspect the systems put in place to determine if they constitute reasonable steps to deliver the legal objective. 
- [5.0 Do age checks actually work?](https://avpassociation.com/question/do-age-checks-actually-work/): The evidence says yes, at scale. Australia’s Age Assurance Technology Trial, the largest independent evaluation yet conducted, tested solutions from 48 providers and concluded that age assurance can be done privately, robustly and effectively, that there were no substantial technological limitations preventing implementation and that no single solution fits every context, which is why choice of method matters.  
- [4.1 What about people without passports, driving licences, bank accounts or stable homes?](https://avpassociation.com/question/what-about-people-without-passports-driving-licences-bank-accounts-or-stable-homes/): This is one of the strongest arguments for the current generation of technology. If age checks meant ID documents only, millions of adults would be excluded. They do not. Facial age estimation requires no documents, no bank account and no credit history, and inference methods work from things people already have, such as a long-standing phone number or email address. A choice of methods is an inclusion measure, and regulators increasingly require it. Where an individual still cannot pass any automated route, platforms should offer a solution such as professional attestation where a doctor, teacher etc. gives a reference confirming the user’s age.
- [4.0 What happens if I am wrongly assessed as underage?](https://avpassociation.com/question/what-happens-if-i-am-wrongly-assessed-as-underage/): You should be offered another method immediately. A good age assurance journey never makes facial estimation, a credit check or any single method the only route. It provides alternatives on the spot and offers alternative methods or a route to appeal the decision. This is not a courtesy: fairness of exactly this kind is one of the criteria regulators such as Ofcom use to judge whether age assurance is highly effective, and regulators such as the ICO, require to be compliant with legal requirements for fairness.  Certification examines the whole journey, not just the algorithm. Being wrongly assessed should cost you a minute to use a different method, not your access. 
- [3.5 Can teenagers fool it with make-up, filters or AI images?](https://avpassociation.com/question/can-teenagers-fool-it-with-make-up-filters-or-ai-images/): Some attacks are possible, and certified systems treat this as a robustness problem to be engineered against, not ignored. Liveness detection checks that the camera is looking at a real, present person rather than a photo, a screen replay or a mask, and is tested against international presentation attack standards. Image quality checks, limits on repeated attempts and fallback to verification for borderline results close off the casual routes. Where a document is used, a live selfie can be matched to the document photo, so a borrowed ID fails without the collusion of its owner. No control is perfect, but the tick box these systems replace was defeated by a single click. 
- [3.4 What about bias? Does it work equally well for everyone?](https://avpassociation.com/question/what-about-bias-does-it-work-equally-well-for-everyone/): Bias risk is real and must be managed, not denied. Facial recognition systems – not estimation systems - have historically been studied and did not perform as well for some groups, including people with darker skin tones and people whose appearance is affected by a medical condition or disability.  This is the result of physics – darker skin reflects less light – which is becoming less of a problem as the quality of cameras improve – and training data used to create the estimation algorithms not being sufficiently diverse.   
- [3.3 How accurate is facial estimation?](https://avpassociation.com/question/how-accurate-is-facial-estimation/): A margin of error is inherent in facial age estimation – it is a feature not a fatal flaw.  It is designed into how the technology is used, exactly as it is offline. Shops apply policies such as “Challenge 25” because staff cannot judge 18 precisely, anyone who looks under 25 (or sometimes an older limit) is asked for ID. Online systems use the same logic, setting a buffer above the legal age, so a user must be estimated well above the threshold to pass on estimation alone. 
- [3.2 Is facial age estimation biometric data processing?](https://avpassociation.com/question/is-facial-age-estimation-biometric-data-processing/): The legal answer can depend on how a system is implemented, and we do not claim it is never biometric processing. What matters are the safeguards:  
- [3.1 Is facial age estimation the same as facial recognition?](https://avpassociation.com/question/is-facial-age-estimation-the-same-as-facial-recognition/): No, and the difference matters. Facial recognition tries to identify who someone is, by matching a face against a stored template or watchlist. Facial age estimation estimates an age or age range and never asks who you are. A compliant deployment will not create or retain any identity template that would allow the system to recognise you later. It is not built to identify individuals and is not a surveillance tool. Calling it "facial recognition by another name" is inaccurate: the two technologies answer different questions and are built differently.
- [3.0 What is facial age estimation and how does it work?](https://avpassociation.com/question/what-is-facial-age-estimation-and-how-does-it-work/): Software analyses patterns in an image of your face for the few seconds needed to estimate your age, then the image is discarded. The system needs no name, no document and no date of birth, which is why, for many people, it is the most private option on the menu. It is also the option that works for people who have no ID documents at all. 
- [2.5 Could criminals set up fake age check services to harvest personal data?](https://avpassociation.com/question/could-criminals-set-up-fake-age-check-services-to-harvest-personal-data/): Phishing is a risk for every online service, including banking, and the defences here are layered. You do not have to find or judge an age assurance provider alone: the digital service you are accessing chooses which providers to integrate, and platforms carry out due diligence because their reputation depends on it. Certification bodies publish public registers of audited providers that anyone can check. Regulators can act against imposters, and emerging interoperability schemes (see below) vet every provider in their network. A fraudster can imitate a brand. They cannot get onto an official register or join a well-managed network of providers. 
- [2.4 Will an age check create a record of the websites I visit?](https://avpassociation.com/question/will-an-age-check-create-a-record-of-the-websites-i-visit/): Under the ‘double-blind’ model, originally demanded by the French data protection authority, CNIL, but now becoming an industry standard, the provider confirms your age without recording a user linked history of which sites requested checks, and the website learns nothing about you except that you passed the age test.  
- [2.3 Nothing is unhackable. Why should I trust any of this?](https://avpassociation.com/question/nothing-is-unhackable-why-should-i-trust-any-of-this/): That instinct is correct, and it is the assumption the age assurance industry applies in its privacy-by design approach. No system can promise perfect security forever, so well-designed age checks do not depend on defending large stores of data. They depend on not creating them in the first place. A hacker cannot steal a database that was never built. 
- [2.2 What about breaches reported recently?](https://avpassociation.com/question/what-about-breaches-reported-recently/): Generally, such stories relate either to digital identity products rather than age assurance, or to legacy systems never designed to meet the standards required in the age verification sector.  
- [2.1 What data is collected, and what is retained?](https://avpassociation.com/question/what-data-is-collected-and-what-is-retained/): Collection should be the minimum needed to answer one question. For facial estimation that is an image processed for a few seconds. For a bank or mobile network operator check it is a yes or no answer from an institution that already knows your age. 
- [2.0 Can I stay anonymous online after an age check?](https://avpassociation.com/question/can-i-stay-anonymous-online-after-an-age-check/): Yes, in a well-designed system and this is the essence of age assurance. Age is not identity, and the check is built on separation: the website that needs the check does not perform it, and the independent provider that performs it returns only a yes or no answer, such as "over 18: yes". The website never sees your name, document or date of birth. Where a “double-blind” approach is offered, then the provider does not learn what you go on to do. 
- [0.4 Why are some privacy and civil liberties groups worried about age assurance?](https://avpassociation.com/question/i-why-are-some-privacy-and-civil-liberties-groups-worried-about-age-assurance/): Opponents of online age assurance raise five main risks:  
- [0.3 Is age assurance the same as digital ID?](https://avpassociation.com/question/is-age-assurance-the-same-as-digital-id/): No. Digital identity proves who you are. Age assurance proves one fact about you, that you are over (or under) an age threshold, and the systems offered by our members prove that fact without identifying to the services you are accessing at all. Some people may choose a digital identity wallet as a convenient way selectively to share an age proof, but that is one option, not generally a requirement. Laws requiring age checks are not laws requiring digital ID, and conflating the two is one of the most common category errors in this debate.
- [0.2 Do I always have to upload my ID or scan my face?](https://avpassociation.com/question/do-i-always-have-to-upload-my-id-or-scan-my-face/): No. Neither is the default, and no well-designed regulation mandates a single method. Users should always be offered a choice, which typically includes facial age estimation, identity documents, open banking, a mobile operator check, a credit reference check, a reusable digital identity app or inference from the transactions for which email addresses or mobile numbers have been used. Facial age estimation is optional and momentary, and document routes are one option among several. If one route does not work for you or you are not comfortable with it, another should be available. The claim that age assurance always means uploading a passport to the platform you wish to access does not describe the privacy preserving systems offered by third-party age verification providers.
- [0.1 What is age assurance and why is it needed?](https://avpassociation.com/question/what-is-age-assurance-and-why-is-it-needed/): Age assurance is the umbrella term for the technologies used to check whether someone is old enough, or young enough, to buy a product, use a service or see certain content. There are three main approaches: 
- [9.0 Who are the AVPA and what do we stand for?](https://avpassociation.com/question/who-are-the-avpa-and-what-do-we-stand-for/): The Age Verification Providers Association is the global trade body for the age assurance industry. Our members provide age checks to platforms, retailers and regulators around the world and commit to a code of conduct built on privacy by design, data minimisation and independent certification. We stand for the position set out across these FAQs: that children deserve the same protection online as offline, that adults’ privacy and anonymity must survive the process intact, that claims made by providers should be independently audited rather than taken on trust and that the alternative to regulated age assurance is not a freer internet but self-declaration, platform profiling and unmanaged ID retention, which serve no one. 
- [– Can digital ID be used for age verification of restricted items other than alcohol?](https://avpassociation.com/question/can-digital-id-be-used-for-age-verification-of-restricted-items-other-than-alcohol/): Digital ID, such as mobile driving licences or apps like Yoti and CitizenCard Digital, is widely accepted for age verification of most age-restricted items and services in the UK, except for alcohol, where the Licensing Act 2003 typically requires physical ID (e.g., passport, driving licence, or PASS card) due to strict rules on underage sales. For items like tobacco, vapes, knives, fireworks, solvents, lottery tickets, and age-rated media (e.g., 18+ video games), digital ID can be used for online purchases and often at delivery or collection points.
- [1.1 What methods of age verification are available?](https://avpassociation.com/question/what-method-of-age-verification-for-accessing-pornography-are-available/): Age verification checks can be completed using passports, driving licences, online banking, through credit reference agencies or with a digital ID app on your mobile phone account; innovative new technology can estimate your age from a selfie using artificial intelligence, with the image immediately deleted after the check.
- [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?](https://avpassociation.com/question/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/): In Europe, GDPR sets a higher bar for the processing of special category data such as biometric data.  However, it is wrong to believe this legally always requires consent.  There are other legal reasons to process sensitive data, and perhaps the most relevant for age assurance, is the public interest.  The UK Information Commissioner's Officer recently issued a formal legal opinion accepting that it was in the public interest to process personal data in order to undertake age verification if the purpose was to protect children from harm, and the extent of that harm justified this use.
- [1.0 What is interoperability, and why is it such a priority for the AV industry?](https://avpassociation.com/question/what-is-interoperability-and-why-is-it-such-a-priority-for-the-av-industry/): euCONSENT was a European Commission funded project to create an interoperable network of AV providers.  It began a pilot of its technology in February 2022 with over 1,600 participants across 5 countries which successfully proved the concept of interoperability, modelled on the EUs eIDAS 1.0 architecture. It has now been updated to reflect the eIDAS 2.0 Wallet approach by a non-profit organisation established by the original project team, and has built AgeAware, a tokenized, double-blind solution. This will allow you to prove your age once with an AV provider and then re-use that same check many times over with other websites, even if they use a different AV provider.
- [Do the age estimation techniques based on facial images put me at risk of surveillance through image recognition software?](https://avpassociation.com/question/do-the-age-estimation-techniques-based-on-facial-images-put-me-at-risk-of-surveillance-through-image-recognition-software/): There is a critically important difference between facial age estimation and facial recognition.
- [We can’t stop children accessing pornography, so should we not focus on education and building resilience, not age verification?](https://avpassociation.com/question/we-cant-stop-children-accessing-pornography-so-should-we-not-focus-on-education-and-building-resiliance-not-age-verification/): Even before the internet, children could get hold of pornographic magazines, or even find an adult video hidden at home. The differences with online porn are that it is currently much more easily accessible, available in vast quantities, is often more hard core and frequently extreme to the point that it would be illegal in any magazine or video available for sale in the UK. So online pornography does require a different level of protection.
- [How can I avoid repeatedly proving my age?](https://avpassociation.com/question/what-is-the-euconsent-project/): There are emerging options for both re-usable and interoperable age assurance.

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