Yoti Facial Age Estimation receives regulator approval in Germany for online services

Age estimation software from Yoti has been approved by Germany’s Commission for the Protection of Minors in the Media (KJM) for use as a logical access control technology by online services in the country.

The KJM has specified that a five-year buffer should be used. The German Interstate Treaty on the Protection of Minors (JMStV) includes restrictions of some online services to those 16 years of age and above and others to those 18 and over, meaning for users to have their age confirmed by Yoti, they will have to be estimated at 21 and 23 years old, respectively, for those categories of services.

Regulations targeting age restrictions for online services are expected to proliferate around the world, Yoti Director of Regulatory and Policy Julie Dawson recently told Biometric Update in an interview. The company has denied that its age estimation technology counts as biometric data under GDPR in a response to a UK regulator.

“Artificial intelligence is finding its way into almost all areas of our life,” comments KJM Chairman Dr. Marc Jan Eumann. “There is still great untapped potential here to protect children and young people online. ‘Yoti Facial Age Estimation’ is the first AI age assessment approach that we have approved. We welcome that this tech can be used to protect children and young people.”

Twelve technologies have been approved by the KJM for age assurance.

Yoti Facial Age Estimation provides an estimate within 1.5 seconds, without identifying the individual, and then immediately deletes the image, according to the company announcement.

Article Topics

access management  |  age estimation  |  age verification  |  AI  |  biometric software  |  biometrics  |  children  |  facial analysis  |  Germany  |  regulation  |  Yoti