Age Verification – Global Regulation in Action to Protect Minors
The formation of digital space has helped minors to gain easy access to age-restricted products and services available in the digital world. However, previously, when minors were not allowed to enter a liquor or tobacco shop, making an online purchase was completely a different story. According to Business Insider, over one million minors fell prey to online exploitation.
To counter these harmful consequences, the online age verification mechanism is offered by various digital services to protect and restrict minors from getting their hands on age-exclusive content, products, and service. For businesses operating online, it is mandatory to ask for the age of their customers, and for making this happen seamlessly digital services provide a feasible solution. It offers a secure and protective channel through which platforms can not only guard minors but also keep regulatory compliance intact.
Global Age Verification Regulations for Mandating Industries
Legal regulations covering age verification are not identical and they vary from region to region. However, the main focus of every regulation out emphasis on parental control and minors protection. Common regulations are discussed in the next section.
Age Verification in Europe
The European Union issued General Data Protection Regulation that applies to every industry, citizen, and operation. It put forth the guidelines that businesses should collect the personal information of consumers during registration. For age verification, they should require biometrics, genetics, and age information. Furthermore, the mandated age in this regulation for gaining access to AO products is 18.
To guard the gaming and gambling industry, the EU documents another regulation named the Pan-European Games Information (PEGI). This is the age classification system that verifies the players’ age during registration.
Age Verification in the UK
In recent years, the UK government has revamped various laws to restrict easy access for underaged customers. Age verification was streamlined in the country when Digital Economy Bill was passed with the main purpose to restrict minors effectively from accessing adult sites, products, and services. Furthermore, the 2008’s Byron Review focused on limiting service providers from providing such AO content on commercial platforms. It further ensures the e-safety of the underaged.
Similarly, the interactiveAgeCheck (iAC) is a service provider that is made responsible for such protection while taking into account the regulations put forth by the UK Council on Child Internet Safety (UKCCIS).
Age Verification in the USA
Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) is a law that has its jurisdiction spread over the minor’s safety in the US. It mandates companies to authentically collect and verify the information. Furthermore, the term compliance does not necessarily mean displaying age-related warnings or employing verifiers because sophisticated minors can dodge these in minimal time.
Moving on, for evaluating and monitoring carrier content, the authorities formulated the Cellular Telecommunications and Internet Association. It demarcates various content ratings to help parents differentiate between what is suitable and whatnot. As per the regulations, every content provider is obliged to inculcate age verification mechanisms. Furthermore, through digitally getting age verified, industries can group the audiences and choose respective contents.
Age Verification in Australia
The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) 2008 made new amendments to limit access to minors. These regulations apply to every content airing in Australia. Furthermore, the Broadcasting Services Act of 1992 backed the formation of this regulatory framework and put it into action. The Restricted Access Systems Declaration of 2007, mandated services providers to filter the content and products depending on the ages and make sure that they are not providing any to underaged customers.
For this, they should use age verification digital solutions as they are seamless and robust. Furthermore, they can digitally display warning and age check gates in the initial stages and conduct verification alongside. Governments have revamped every regulation and guiding standard for the industries to abide by while allocating assistance.
Putting it All Together
Any industry with a lack of age validation of customers will not only expose minors to risks but also manipulate them through adult content. And non-compliance will bring industries to hefty fines as central authorities are not going to rest. Here, as evident from Shufti Pro’s News, online age verification is what businesses need. These are the AI-powered solutions that provide a seamless, cost-effective, and less time-consuming experience to both customers and platforms. Furthermore, industries can identify criminals, ultimately complying with set standards all the way.
