by Rebecca Burgess | Jul 9, 2026
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...
by Rebecca Burgess | Jul 9, 2026
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.
by Rebecca Burgess | Jul 9, 2026
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...
by Rebecca Burgess | Jul 9, 2026
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...
by Rebecca Burgess | Jul 9, 2026
The AVPA’s position is that good age assurance regulation should require: A choice of methods, so no one is forced to use ID or any single technique Data minimisation, collecting only what the check requires No unnecessary retention, with any legally...
