It is widely accepted that what is illegal in the real world should also be illegal online.
Many of our existing laws include age-restrictions. The most common examples where we require proof of age are the purchase of alcohol, fireworks, cigarettes, knives, scratch-cards and pornography. Increasingly, goods and services are accessed online, so an equivalent way to check the age of a consumer using the internet was needed.
Age verification technology provides this fundamental building block for applying the rule of law online. It seeks to do so in a proportionate way, just as is the case in the real world: So for higher risk uses, a higher level of age assurance is required to confirm that a consumer is the age they claim to be. And this new industry sector operates independently of the suppliers of age-restricted goods and services, and of the global platforms which advertise them, to a standard which can audited and certified.