French vape industry calls for age verification standard in online sales

The health status of vaping remains unsettled, with some studies showing that e-cigarettes can damage the heart and lungs faster than cigarettes, and others say it is far less harmful than smoking tobacco.

On a day-to-day basis, many non-vapers simply wish the teenager on their bus would stop puffing huge clouds of mango-scented vapor into their face. The vape industry says it understands; in France, the national industry trade group, Fivape, says it has “a concrete solution” to keep minors out of the market using biometric age verification from Yoti on websites selling vape products.

“In a channel that accounts for nearly 30 percent of the market, specialized websites demonstrate that it is possible to reliably verify that buyers are of legal age, thanks to identity verification technologies tailored to e-commerce,” says a release from Fivape.

Le Petit Vapoteur is a leading European online retailer of vaping products, and Fivape says it has required every new customer to go through Yoti’s age assurance process since Spring 2026. The system uses a step-up process that begins with facial age estimation, and moves to face-to-document age verification to confirm age as necessary, to create a binary yes/no age signal to transmit to the website. No personal information is retained.

Available tools nullify notion of a ban

Fivape is hoping the model can serve as a “clear framework for implementing a two-step verification process: real-time age estimation via a selfie, followed – in cases of doubt – by verification of an official ID, with no data retained beyond the time necessary for verification.”

“In Fivape’s view, now that reliable digital age verification tools exist, the debate should no longer pit online sales against a ban, but rather focus on establishing a standard level of age verification required of all sellers to effectively prevent minors from accessing these products.”

The organization, which has been working on the age verification question since 2025, says it can provide its members with “the tools and best practices needed to facilitate the adoption of these systems, without mandating a single service provider.” So while Yoti has proven effective for Le Petit Vapoteur, the market is open to other biometrics and age assurance providers, as well.

The idea is to embrace effective existing systems, in order to avoid sweeping crackdowns that would significantly curb or outlaw online vape sales.

“Banning online sales would not eliminate demand; it would simply shift it to unregulated channels,” says Jean Moiroud, president of Fivape. “By setting strict standards for identity and age verification on specialized websites, we are demonstrating that online sales can become one of the safest channels for keeping minors out and distributing vaping products exclusively to adults seeking a solution to quit smoking.”

Social media take note

The release contains a hiccup in associating age assurance with digital identity verification, when the two are different processes that serve different purposes. However, it is notable as an outright endorsement from a regulated industry.

Since Le Petit Vapoteur integrated Yoti’s software, Fivape says, “several hundred verifications have been carried out every day, with a high level of personal data protection. The user experience remains simple and fast, and the executives at Le Petit Vapoteur are able to confirm to the entire industry that the system does not cause any noticeable slowdown in their business.”

“This is a very reassuring message for the entire industry – a positive experience that will encourage every stakeholder to take the plunge.”

The statement is a good example of what it looks like when an industry is serious about its claims to want to keep kids safe. Whether it’s a vape retailer or a social media platform, age assurance tech can work if the buy-in is there. Certainly, the least effective way to protect kids online is to mount massive legal challenges to regulation, in an attempt to avoid any accountability at all.

Article Topics

age verification  |  biometrics  |  digital ID  |  France  |  retail biometrics  |  selfie biometrics  |  Yoti