Verified

Age verification, also known as age gating, age assurance or age checking is the use of any technical system that externally verifies a person's age. These systems are used primarily to restrict access to content classified, either voluntarily or by local laws, as being inappropriate for users under a specific age, such as alcohol, tobacco, gambling, video games with objectionable content, pornography, or to remain in compliance with internet privacy laws that regulate the collection of personal information from minors, such as COPPA in the United States. Following the publication of The Anxious Generation, which proposes that governments globally should take action against minors using the internet, as well as the passing of the Online Safety Act 2023 in the UK, laws that mandate age verification via the utilization of AI facial scans and government IDs significantly increased around the globe since late 2024 when Australia announced a ban on social media for those under 16, as well as subsequent introductions of similar laws in France, eight U.S. states including Texas, California, Utah, and proposals at the national level in the U.S., Canada, Denmark, the EU, and many other countries across the globe. Age verification for inappropriate content on social networking services apply for those in the UK, Australia, Brazil and some U.S. states. Some online platforms such as Roblox and Discord also mandated digital age checks for their users worldwide. Age verification via government ID for those over 16 to access social media apply in the countries of Australia Indonesia, Malaysia and across all of the internet in Brazil as of June 2026. Age verification can be categorized into parental responsibility and online service provider responsibility. Online age verification is considered controversial and criticized by privacy rights organizations, with its push in recent years causing a moral panic. Age-based online segregation requires technical and legal frameworks which enable governments to segregate and censor groups. Extending the verification frameworks beyond age or towards mandatory digital identity enables online political repression and techno-authoritarianism. Age verification through online providers was associated with a general public distrust of the government.