Unraveling the Age Assurance Revolution
Age Assurance in Australia: A Pioneering Trial
Australia is set to test age-assurance technologies next year, with the Age Check Certification Scheme (ACCS) overseeing the process. ACCS, a U.K. not-for-profit, conducts compliance testing and certification for providers. This trial is closely watched globally due to concerns about social media's impact on kids' well-being. While the Australian trial grabs headlines now, ACCS is active worldwide, including in the U.S., Europe, and the U.K. Age assurance breaks down into three areas: age verification, age estimation, and age inference. Age verification confirms the exact date of birth, while age estimation provides an estimate or range. Age inference relies on other confirmed information. Self-declaration is a basic age gate but may not suffice for the Australian law. More robust measures based on behavioral triggers may be required for compliance. Social media giant Meta continues to lobby for checks in mobile app stores.ACCS' CEO, Tony Allen, explains that the process of age assurance is not new but the focus on privacy-preserving methods is. Instead of sharing full passport details, the technology now focuses on privacy and security. He downplays privacy concerns, stating that third-party providers typically provide a yes/no response, minimizing data sharing. He also argues that concerns over age assurance enabling mass surveillance are unfounded as the international standard prohibits such practices.
Yoti, a U.K. player in the age assurance space, will participate in the Australian trial and test its facial age estimation tech, Digital ID app, ID document, and liveness. The term "liveness" refers to digital ID verification technology that detects if the person in the ID document is the same as the one accessing the service. In Australia, the precise methods for age assurance are yet to be determined, with Meta lobbying for checks in app stores. Allen expects a mix of age verification, estimation, and inference methods.
Privacy in Age Assurance: A Selling Point
Privacy has become a key selling point for newer age assurance forms. Online age verification has been around since the 1990s with gambling going online. The focus now is on doing it in a privacy-preserving way. Third-party age-assurance providers provide a yes/no response, minimizing data risks.Yoti declined to predict trial results or the methods and thresholds set by Australian lawmakers. Low-friction checks like selfie-based age checks are attractive to social media firms but it's unclear if lawmakers will allow them. There's an open call for participation in the Australian age assurance trial, and new ideas are emerging, such as using pulse or hand movement and finger geometry for age assurance.
With increased attention from lawmakers, Allen expects more age assurance technologies and companies to emerge in the coming years. The industry is closely watching how much margin for error will be allowed with techniques like facial-age estimation.
