Age assurance

While there’s no single best way to verify age online, you can develop the right approach for your use case based on your regulatory requirements, industry, and user base.

In our experience, the most effective strategies combine multiple age assurance methods to balance user experience with compliance needs. Common methods include:

• Government ID verification (analyzing a driver's license or passport)

• Selfie age estimation (using AI to estimate age from facial features)

• Database checks (validating information against authoritative sources)

• NFC verification (reading cryptographic data from ID chips)

Many businesses take a dynamic approach that adapts based on location, risk signals, and age thresholds. For example, they may start with low-friction methods, like database checks, and step up to selfie age estimation or government ID verification only when needed.

Age verification software collects, analyzes, and validates user information to confirm the user meets minimum age requirements. Typically, the software will return a simple yes/no result.

When a user attempts to access age-restricted content or services, many age verification software tools take several steps to verify the user’s age. The exact configuration and process can depend on the organization’s preferences, but it might look like:

1. First, the system prompts the user to upload a picture of their government ID and take a selfie.

2. Next, advanced OCR technology extracts data from the ID (like date of birth). The software may run liveness checks to verify the selfie is real, and compare the image to the government ID’s image.

3. The software may cross-check personal information against authoritative databases to verify the information belongs to a real person and is accurate.

4. Finally, the software can send a yes/no response to the requesting organization before deleting the user’s personal information from its system.

Age verification platforms often use dynamic routing to automatically select the best verification method based on factors like user location, device capabilities, and regulatory requirements. Verifications typically complete in seconds, with results triggering automated workflows that grant or deny access, update user accounts, or flag edge cases for manual review.

Age verification is required across a wide range of industries to comply with regulations and promote trust and safety. Legally required industries include:

• Alcohol, tobacco, and cannabis sales (age thresholds are typically 18 or 21, depending on the jurisdiction)

• Gambling and gaming sites (18 or 21+ by state)

• Adult entertainment (18+)

• Social media (emerging regulations require age assurance to protect minors)

• Medical services, particularly telemedicine platforms, require age verification to ensure patients are at least 18 years old before providing informed consent for medical procedures

Beyond legal compliance, many businesses use age verification or age-checking software for trust and safety purposes. Below, we’ve provided a few common examples of how different industries confirm age requirements.

• Fintech: Age verification supports KYC and AML compliance by confirming users meet minimum age requirements to open financial accounts, apply for loans, or access investment products. It helps fintechs fulfill Bank Secrecy Act requirements while maintaining a seamless onboarding experience and reducing fraud.

• Digital health: Age verification ensures patients are at least 18 years old before providing informed consent for telemedicine consultations, procedures, or medications. It protects sensitive health information from unauthorized access, helping digital health platforms comply with HIPAA and other healthcare regulations.

• Payments: Age verification in payments platforms supports fraud prevention, regulatory compliance, and risk-based decisioning. Payment platforms can assess transaction risk levels and implement additional verification steps for flagged individuals, while continuous monitoring ensures users remain compliant over time.

• Cryptocurrency: Age verification is a foundational component of KYC and AML compliance for cryptocurrency exchanges and wallet providers. It helps crypto platforms meet global regulatory standards by confirming users are old enough to legally transact in digital assets (typically 18+).

• Financial institutions: Age verification enables banks and credit unions to modernize digital identity verification for account opening, lending, and other financial services. It ensures customers meet minimum age requirements (typically 18+) while helping institutions comply with BSA, PATRIOT Act, and AML regulations.

Businesses can protect user privacy during age verification by practicing data minimization. That means collecting only the information necessary to confirm age, not full identity details.

Using a trusted third-party verification provider prevents your platform from directly handling sensitive personal information. Instead, you receive only a verification result (pass/fail or age bracket) while the provider manages data collection and security. All data should be encrypted using 256-bit AES encryption, with HTTPS for data in transit, and personal information should be automatically deleted or anonymized immediately after verification.