Security News > 2023 > December > It's ba-ack... UK watchdog publishes age verification proposals

Digital identity wallets and, our favorite, facial age estimation, where the features of a user's face are analyzed to estimate the user's age.

The idea of age verification was floated years before and has returned as part of the Online Safety Bill.

The previous time around, the idea of allowing certain firms to work as information collaters / age verification service providers was floated, with critics correctly surmising this would create huge jackpot targets of citizen data.

The Ofcom proposals include guidance on data protection as well as age assurance, all of which will add to the burden faced by operators trying to deal with age checks while also ensuring user data is protected.

"Our practical guidance sets out a range of methods for highly effective age checks. We're clear that weaker methods - such as allowing users to self-declare their age - won't meet this standard."

The rules apply to services with links to the UK - where the UK is a target market, or the service has a "Significant number" of UK users.

News URL

https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2023/12/05/uk_age_verifcation_proposals/