Identity Management is the Key to Age Verification

For years, online ‘age gates’ have meant a checkbox, a self-declared birthdate, or a ‘by continuing you confirm you’re over 18’. That is all about to change. Across multiple countries, regulators are now treating age-restricted access as something that must be enforceable, as well as privacy-preserving.

Australia

Australia has become a global reference point for age-verified online access to content because it is trying to make the platforms accountable for whom they share their content with. The eSafety Commissioner’s materials describe the approach as requiring services to take ‘reasonable steps’ to prevent under-16s holding accounts on age-restricted social media services, with enforcement targeted at platforms rather than children or parents.