How to Use an Age Verification System?
Some products or activities are legally age-restricted. But with the Internet being such an open environment, can asking whether a user is over a certain age truly be enough to verify that they may access a website? Implementing an age verification system is the best way for businesses to ensure they do not sell goods or services to underage customers, going well beyond the simple “How old are you?” question.
What is Age Verification?
Definition and Importance
What is age verification, exactly? In a business context, age verification is a security measure that ensures the person attempting to access a website, service, or product is in the legal age range to do so.
An age verification system can take on various forms, ranging from a simple checkbox to data records, ID document checks, biometric checks, and more. For companies that provide age-gated goods or services, implementing an age verification system is the only way to comply fully with KYC (Know Your Customer) requirements.
Online vs. In-Person Age Verification
In-person age verification is usually a simple matter of asking for a government-issued photo ID. The most basic online age verification system, on the other hand, is a mere box the user needs to check to indicate that they are over 18 or 21 (depending on the situation) or provide their date of birth. But it doesn’t end there. Modern methods no longer take the user’s word for it, relying on facial recognition and AI (Artificial Intelligence) technology instead. Performing age verification online now involves checking the user’s personal identifying information (PII).
How Does Age Verification Work Online?
The Online Verification Process
So, how does age verification work online? It relies on the same logic as in-person checks: with an online government ID age verification system. Instead of having someone physically look at the document and confirm the person’s age, everything is handled automatically and almost instantaneously:
All this happens seamlessly, in a few seconds, and completely securely.
Technological Solutions
Age verification systems rely on advanced, AI-augmented face recognition capabilities to match the user’s digital identity with their real-life one. From assessing the validity of the documents submitted to matching them with the selfies, the entire process is designed to ensure the user is a real person rather than a Photoshopped image.
Age Verification Compliance and Regulations
Legal Requirements
Age compliance regulations aim to control access to age-restricted products, materials, or services. In today’s digital era, where an immense number of transactions are happening online, age-gating is increasingly vital. Organizations that fail to perform the required online age verification face the risk of breaking age-restriction regulations, such as the COPPA (Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act) in the US or the DSA (Digital Services Act) in the EU, for instance.
Global Compliance Standards
Customer age verification standards may vary locally but are generally similar, requiring customers to be of legal age (usually 18 or 21) to access age-restricted content (adult content, gambling websites, etc.) or products (tobacco, alcohol, explosives, etc.). Implementing an age verification system ensures a secure and accurate process, which can be configured to adapt to the user’s local compliance standards.
The Role of Technology in Age Verification
Advanced Technologies in Verification
Age verification online needs to be as dependable as in-person methods, particularly in terms of speed and security. This is where advanced and automated technologies such as liveness detection and biometric verification come into play. They allow age verification systems to spot deepfakes and other fraudulent activities and ensure business owners cannot be accused of negligence.
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Implementing Age Verification in Your Business
Integration Steps
Integrating an age verification system as part of your business practices is a question of selecting the ideal provider. Incode’s robust and easily customized identity solutions deliver seamless experiences, accurately and securely verifying shoppers’ ages and identities. Our proprietary passive liveness technology ensures the highest level of reliability through an intuitive process.
Best Practices for Seamless Implementation
Implementing online age verification shouldn’t impede customer experience. Opting for a real-time solution that minimizes the number of steps the customer needs to follow is ideal.
Age Gating: What It Is and Its Limitations
Understanding Age Gating
Basic age-gating relies on self-declaration. In other words, the person is asked to enter their age or date of birth before accessing the website or content. But how likely is it that having to tick a simple box will deter underage users?
Why Age Gating Is Not Sufficient?
The issue with traditional age-gating is that the user’s age actually remains unverified. Essentially, they could be lying in order to access adult entertainment or gambling sites, order liquor online, or register on dating sites and social media platforms that should be off-limits.
Challenges and Solutions in Age Verification
Common Challenges
Safeguarding minors, complying with regulatory requirements, and maintaining a pristine reputation can be a difficult task in a context where businesses have to rely on their users’ words. Yet, the e-commerce industry is booming, and expectations are high. So, if implementing an age verification system means creating friction for the end customer, the risk of losing them is high.
Effective Solutions
Modern, AI-powered age verification systems cut out the complexity, allowing businesses to implement secure age verification practices without making the path to purchase slow and cumbersome.
Incode’s age verification system is as seamless as it is effective, matching an individual with the ID they present within seconds. With this in-depth identification process, impersonation becomes a non-issue.
The Future of Age Verification Technology
Emerging Trends
AI-driven age verification systems integrating facial recognition technology are at the forefront of the industry. From biometric verification to document authentication and liveness assessment, automation- and machine learning-based solutions are improving at a rapid rate, promising even more seamless experiences in the near future.
Predictions for the Future
Identity verification in general—and age verification in particular—is poised to get more live-centric to counter the rise in identity fraud. The concept of digital identity itself is gaining momentum, and as non-physical forms of ID become more prevalent, online verification protocols will be even more reliable and increasingly seamless.
Conclusion
Businesses that sell age-restricted goods or provide access to age-restricted content or services can no longer rely on traditional age-gating to remain compliant. Adopting an automated, AI-driven Age Verification system allows them to protect minors, comply with regulations, future-proof their activities, and offer a seamless experience for their authorized customers.
Get in touch with us now to design a customized age verification system for your business!