Age verification
Confirming that a person meets a minimum age before they access a product or service.
Age verification checks that someone is old enough, for example to buy alcohol, tobacco or vapes, gamble, watch age-restricted films or play certain games, or open some types of account. Online, it replaces the "I am over 18" checkbox with an actual check.
Methods
- ID-based: the date of birth is read from a verified identity document.
- Age estimation: a model estimates age from a selfie. Useful when the threshold is far from the person's likely age; borderline cases fall back to an ID check.
- Digital identity wallets: the person shares only an "over 18" attribute, not their full identity.
- On-site hardware: age-gate devices at vending machines or self-checkouts.
Age verification is not identity verification
A business selling an age-restricted product usually needs to know that the customer is old enough, not who they are. A well-designed age check returns only the result (eligible or not), the method used and a timestamp, which keeps the data a business holds to a minimum.
In Switzerland
Age checks are becoming a legal requirement in more areas, for example under the Federal Act on the Protection of Minors in the Areas of Film and Video Games (JSFVG) and in rules on the sale of tobacco and vaping products. The exact obligations depend on the product and channel.
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Tell us what you’re trying to verify. We’ll show you how secuveri can fit your workflow.
