Age Verification

The process of confirming a user's age before allowing access to age-restricted content or services, or before collecting personal information from children. Age verification methods range from simple self-declaration (clicking 'I am over 18') to sophisticated identity verification using documents or third-party verification services. The required verification rigor depends on the risk and legal requirements. For children's privacy laws like COPPA, more robust verification may be needed to confirm parental identity and obtain parental consent. For general age restrictions, reasonable age-screening mechanisms may suffice. Privacy considerations include minimizing data collection during verification, securely handling age verification data, and ensuring verification methods don't create excessive privacy risks themselves. Age verification creates tension between protecting children and maintaining user privacy—finding the right balance is key.