Ondato releases Age Verification Report as countries trend toward stricter regulations

Australia caused shockwaves when it approved a social media ban for under-16s a couple of weeks ago. The world-first law could entice other governments to consider such measures, but the shift to stricter age verification is ongoing globally as Ondato publishes a report outlining the trend.

The report observes how lawmakers around the world are discussing stricter age verification requirements for industries such as social media, gaming, gambling, e-commerce, and adult content. The change and evolution in age verification regulations, over the years, are summarized country by county.

The in-depth report looks closely at the UK’s Age-Appropriate Design Code, California’s Age-Appropriate Design Code, the European Union’s GDPR, China’s Real Name Registration, the UK’s Online Safety Bill, and Germany’s Youth Protection Act. But developments in countries on every continent are surveyed and analyzed.

Highlights include a map of state-level legislation requiring age verification showing which American states have laws already in effect, where they are scheduled to take effect, and where law are not in effect beyond the United States’ Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). The video game industry is observed frequently as governments around the world worry about online gaming “addiction” (especially in Asia), and how online gaming can feature age-inappropriate content (often user-generated), and features that resemble gambling, such as loot boxes. Regulations around age verification for gaming is thus a trending issue.

Another inclusion of note – in the report – is a look at digital age-verification initiatives: “some European countries are piloting or introducing innovative approaches to age verification, focusing on balancing child protection with privacy,” the report explains. Australia gets a good look as it has updated many regulations around age verification over the years.

In Asia, real-name registration is noted for social media and gaming in South Korea and China, while India is tightening regulations having previously been known for being “more relaxed.” Nightlife in Thailand gets a special mention as a “surge of fake IDs, bars and clubs in Thailand” have encouraged venues to use digital verification to allow customer entry. This is achieved with the ThaiID system, which includes face biometrics comparison through the Digital Face Verification System.

Much more besides can be found in the Age Verification Report: Age Verification Regulations Around the World, which can be downloaded via Ondato here.

This post was updated at 12:31pm Eastern on December 12, 2024 to clarify the type of legislation depicted by Ondato’s map of America.

Article Topics

age estimation  |  age verification  |  biometrics  |  children  |  digital identity  |  face biometrics  |  market report  |  Ondato  |  regulation