So, You've Hit an Age Gate. What Now?
4 months ago
- #age-verification
- #privacy
- #digital-rights
- EFF opposes age verification mandates and advocates for a free, open, private, and safe internet.
- Age verification methods vary in intrusiveness and risk, with some requiring facial scans, ID uploads, or credit card verification.
- Facial age estimation is less accurate for marginalized groups and may involve data leaks.
- Document-based verification (e.g., government IDs) poses risks of data breaches and long retention periods.
- Meta (Facebook, Instagram, etc.) uses inferred age, facial scans via Yoti, or ID uploads for verification.
- Google offers inferred age, facial scans via Private ID, email checks, credit card verification, or digital IDs.
- TikTok uses inferred age, facial scans via Yoti, credit card verification, or ID uploads via Incode.
- No age verification method is perfect; all involve privacy trade-offs and risks.
- EFF recommends minimizing data submission and understanding retention and access policies.