Verifying your clients’ ages is an important step in creating a safe atmosphere for everyone in your community. Many platforms have devised remedies for this problem, but few appear to be effective in preventing kids from viewing adult content.
In the United States, there are now 22 million teens aged 13 to 19. This adolescent age group is particularly vulnerable, as more than 88% of this population is already online.
In this post, we will look at how remote free age verification systems function, what types there are, and which businesses should use them.
What Is An Age Verification System?
The necessity of online age verification is expanding as the world transitions to a digital environment. Online age verification can range from registering for a new app and entering your birth date to scanning your passport for a bank to check your age.
Age verification systems can take several forms. The “Confirm you’re over 18” checkboxes offer the simplest answers. Age verification can also be accomplished through video conferences, in which a client or candidate (in the case of a job interview) can display their ID and answer some questions.
More advanced solutions rely on multiple neural networks based on document and face recognition technology. These are trained on massive volumes of sample data, allowing them to discern key information in a picture and process data in a few seconds without human intervention.
Why is online age verification important?
In many businesses where customer age is mandated, age verification solutions are an essential aspect of remote onboarding. To comply with the law, the alcohol and cigarette industries, gambling and dating websites, and financial institutions need users to validate their age.
Online age verification assists e-commerce businesses in avoiding chargeback expenses triggered by parents’ reactions to transactions made without their consent. Despite strict payment card verification laws, most minors readily avoid these procedures.
Industries That Require Age Verification
- Alcohol and tobacco. The government strictly regulates the alcohol industry in most countries. Selling alcohol and cigarettes to minors can result in losing a driver’s license, fines, and potentially a prison sentence.
- Energy drinks and supplements. Not just alcohol but also energy drinks and dietary supplements (for example, those containing high doses of caffeine and other stimulants) are associated with health hazards in several countries and, as a result, are only offered to adults.
- Gambling and gaming. Underage gambling and Internet gaming platforms are prohibited in several countries. This protects kids from the risks connected with these hobbies (for example, gambling addiction).
- Adult materials. Age verification is required to prevent minors under the age of consent from viewing sexually explicit items.
- Pharmaceuticals. Certain medications can only be distributed to adults to avoid potential health concerns. The rules vary from one country to another.
- Ammunition and firearms. Vendors demand that clients be legal age to purchase firearms.
5 Age Verification Methods
Here are a few methods for implementing age verification systems. We will go over each of them one by one in the following sections.
1. Biometrics
Biometrics are physiological or behavioral features used to authenticate a person’s identity. Fingerprint scanning is the most prevalent type of biometric authentication, but additional methods include facial recognition software and retinal scans.
According to recent research, the contactless biometrics market is expected to reach 78.6 billion dollars by 2032, rising at a 16.4% CAGR over the next few years. Rapid advances in artificial intelligence and machine learning are driving this expansion.
Biometrics is an excellent way to confirm someone’s age. Fingerprints, facial recognition, and voice recognition are the most commonly utilized biometrics for age verification. They are unique to each individual and can be used to prove that a person is of legal age to access content on the Internet or use specific websites.
2. Personal documents
To establish your age, you must be at least 18 years old. This is accomplished by displaying a government-issued photo ID, such as a passport or driver’s license, or any form of official identification that includes your name and date of birth.
3. Matching biometrics and personal documents
In a two-step process, the user provides an ID scan and a selfie. The computer compares the photo to the ID and determines whether the age on the uploaded ID is appropriate for site access. Advanced picture processing and database scanning are two methods for determining the user’s age.
4. Credit cards
Credit cards are not an acceptable method of age verification. Credit card firms do not want to be liable for that process, and they are already dealing with consumer fraud issues such as identity theft and credit card fraud. Another problem with credit cards is that children adept at impersonating adults may steal or use them.
When you apply for a new card, you are asked how old you are. However, this information is not carried along when making online purchases. Only the billing address is kept on file. It may appear to be a simple answer, but if someone else has access to your wallet and knows your PIN, they might use it even if theoretically they are not permitted under federal law.
5. SMS-verification protocols
SMS verification is a quick and easy way to confirm your age. SMS verification can be used by delivering an automated message to users’ phones, requiring them to input a code sent through text messages. Users will be granted access once they enter this code into your website or app.
Although SMS verification has typically been used to acquire personal information from customers and clients, it can also be used to prohibit minors from accessing certain content or services on your platform.
Conclusion
Online age verification is a digital solution that uses purpose-built products and services to validate the age and identity of Internet users. Merchants who provide age-restricted services and products are obligated both morally and legally to prevent underage access to their products to safeguard kids.
Protecting our children from inappropriate online content requires age verification. We must establish age verification across all parts of the Internet and platforms, such as mobile apps and gaming consoles.
About the Author/s
The New Jersey Digest is a new jersey magazine that has chronicled daily life in the Garden State for over 10 years.
