Image at right: Among suggestions for age verification is a quiz featuring questions only older age groups could answer. Online publication Crikey commented via this tongue-in-cheek cartoon.
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Background information
Much of the information below has been taken from the Wikipedia entry titled 'Age verification system'. The full text can be accessed at
Age verification systems
An age verification system, also known as an 'age gate', is any technical system that externally verifies a person's age. These systems are primarily used to restrict online access to content classified, either voluntarily or by local laws, as being inappropriate for users under a specific age, such as alcohol, tobacco, gambling, video games with objectionable content, pornography, or to remain in compliance with online privacy laws that regulate the collection of personal information from minors.
Age verification increased substantially in 2023-2024, with the passage of the U.K. Online Safety Act, a new French online age verification law, laws in eight US states including Texas and Utah, and proposals at the federal level in the US, Canada, Denmark, and the European Union to impose age verification on some forms of online access.
Forms of age verification
Birth date
The most basic form of age verification is to ask a person to input their date-of-birth on a form. However, this depends on an honor system that assumes the truthfulness of the end user (which can be a minor who fraudulently inserts a valid date that meets the age criteria, rather than their actual birthdate). This type of verification is generally ineffective.
Credit card verification
More sophisticated age verification systems require people to provide credit card information. However, this depends on an assumption that credit card holders are adults. In the United States minor can sign up for credit cards. Additionally, a minor may still attempt to obtain their parent's credit card information or acquire the credit card information of another cardholder and fraudulently use that. In 2005, Salvatore LoCascio pleaded guilty to charges of credit card fraud. One of his schemes involved using credit card-based age verification systems to charge under-age users for access to adult entertainment websites.
Federated identification
MindGeek, a major operator of pornography websites, operates an age verification provider known as AgeID. First introduced in Germany in 2015, it uses third-party providers to authenticate the user's age, and a single sign-on model that allows the verified identity to be shared across any participating website.
Face recognition
The Australian government has proposed the use of facial recognition to allow the would-be user's face to be compared to official identification photos such as those on a driver's licence.
Zero-Knowledge Proof
Zero-Knowledge Proofs verify a person's age without disclosing their identity, either to the receiver, such as a business, or to the verifying entity, such as a government department that issues a passport.
Knowledge testing
The adult-oriented video game franchise Leisure Suit Larry presented players with trivia questions that, in the opinion of franchise creator Al Lowe, a child would not know the answer to.
Online services
Several online services provide an age verification service, some of which can be integrated into websites using an API (an interface that allows two applications to talk to each other).
Online age verification in Australia
In March 2023, the Australian eSafety Commissioner submitted a 'roadmap' on online age verification to the Australian Government for consideration. It was proposed that any online service provider that poses a risk of exposing children to pornography should have in place measures to prevent children gaining access. Tools should not be prescribed - but any potential technological tools should meet strict safety and privacy standards, be certified, and independently audited. The role of filtering and parental controls should also be considered. In the event Australia did not proceed with a trial of these proposals.
On May 1, 2024, the Australian National Cabinet (comprised of all state premiers and the federal prime minister) recommended that the former proposed trial of age verification assurance technologies go ahead. This was part of several measures intended to reduce the concerning incidence of violence against women. Exposure to pornography is considered a contributory factor in encouraging violence against women.
Online age verification in other countries
The United Kingdom
As of March 2024, UK regulations require online operators to conduct age verification before consumers are allowed to access or purchase age-restricted or 'harmful' content. Gaming and gambling, dating and adult entertainment, and retail are among the industries and organisations in the UK that are required by law to carry out mandatory verification checks. Any organisation that publishes adult content must take sufficient measures to check that an individual is not below the age threshold to access that content, typically through verification of the customer's age/date of birth.
verification-regulation/ In May 2024, the UK government announced it will require age verification for users of social media. Social media firms will be required to introduce robust checks, including the use of photo ID such as passports, to identify children using their sites and protect them from harm online. Platforms such as Facebook and Instagram, which require users to be at least 13 years old, will be expected to use the checks to enforce the age limits.
verification-for-social-media-users-20240508-p5h030.html The United States
Age verification laws in the U.S. have emerged as a response to concerns about minors' access to adult content online. First enacted by Louisiana in 2022, such laws mandate that websites hosting substantial adult content must verify that users are over 18 years old, typically through government-issued ID. Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia and Wisconsin have since introduced similar laws.
These laws state that if a website's material is deemed 'harmful to minors' it must implement state-approved age verification methods. For example, Louisiana utilised a digital driver's license app for age verification, setting a precedent other states have followed. Failure to comply can lead to legal liabilities, including the possibility for civilians to sue for damages.
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