All websites have to comply with implementing robust verification measures for their users by July. Ofcom clarified what this means for social media platforms which have the biggest following among younger users.
ID verification technologies should be capable of “highly effective checks” to verify the age of teenagers and prevent younger children from accessing these sites. The most activity that young people have on the internet is on social media platforms, where they can be targeted by harmful advertising and exposure to threatening, suicidal or pornographic content.
Technologies will meet the accreditation standards if they deliver on these four criteria: Technical Accuracy, Reliability, Robustness and Fairness.
The range of age assurance methods that Ofcom has said can be highly effective can also be easily circumvented by children, therefore not passing the Robustness test. Authentication that currently exists on sites – such as requesting biographical information like date of birth or signing T&Cs restricting use to adults only – can allow anyone to self assert their permissions to create a social media account.
Age verification platform Yoti expressed “surprise” that Ofcom has not considered “submitting Name, Date of Birth & Address details as not highly effective given it fails the robustness test”.
In 2019, the BBFC (British Board of Film Classification) ruled out false details that match electoral rolls as an age check method to access online porn. Children today are exposed to more harmful content above their age bracket including porn, which should alert websites to installing secure age-check techniques such as using photo ID, credit card checks or facial age estimation, deemed “robust”.
According to a survey by the Children’s Commissioner, one in ten children see online pornography by age nine as it is so readily available on the web that children come across it.
Although not an exhaustive list, Ofcom said age-check techniques could include:
- Open banking
- Photo ID matching
- Facial age estimation
- Mobile network operator age checks
- Credit card checks
- Digital identity services
- Email-based age estimation
However, privacy campaign group Big Brother Watch warned that some age-checking methods could “fail to keep children safe” and “eradicate privacy online”.
“Children must be protected online, but many technological age checking methods are ineffective and introduce additional risks to children and adults alike including security breaches, privacy intrusion, errors, digital exclusion and censorship,” said boss Silkie Carlo.
