UK age verification: what the law requires, “highly effective” methods, and how to implement them with minimal friction
Blog post from Didit
The Online Safety Act 2023 in the UK mandates stringent age verification measures to prevent minors from accessing harmful content online, under the supervision of Ofcom, the national communications regulator. Effective from 2025, platforms must employ "highly effective" methods beyond self-attestation, such as AI-based biometric age estimation and document verification, to demonstrate compliance. Non-compliance risks include substantial fines and potential service blocking. The legislation applies broadly to services that publish or allow access to adult content, with implications for a range of platforms including social networks and search engines. It emphasizes a privacy-by-design approach, requiring proportionality in data handling, minimal data retention, and transparent communication with users. The act has sparked debate between those advocating for stronger child protections and privacy advocates concerned about free speech and proportionality. Companies are urged to adopt low-friction verification methods complemented by higher-assurance fallbacks to maintain user experience and compliance.
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