Age verification technology plays a pivotal role in safeguarding young individuals on commercial websites that offer adult content. It serves as a crucial tool for the adult industry to comply with legal requirements and ensure children are protected from inappropriate content. In this blog post, we will explore the significance of age verification, the regulations surrounding it, and delve into the innovative Faceki platform. 

Understanding Age Verification

Age verification in the adult industry is a mechanism that verifies the age of customers before granting them access to adult content. Traditionally, age-gating relied on the honor system, where potential customers either entered their date of birth or checked a box affirming, they were above the age of 18. However, recent online safety regulations have deemed this approach inadequate, as minors can easily bypass age-gating measures by providing false information. Consequently, age verification processes have evolved to become more sophisticated and robust, imposing stricter rules on commercial pornography sites and other entities in the adult industry. 

Balancing Privacy and Age Verification

One significant challenge arises when users visiting adult websites are reluctant to disclose their personal information. How can commercial pornography websites effectively merge age verification solutions with privacy protection? Let’s explore the possibilities. 

Age Verification Methods

Currently, there are two main categories of age verification methods available: 

1. Methods Involving Personally Identifiable Information (PII): These methods typically involve the use of ID documents or credit cards to confirm a client’s age. While this approach ensures accurate age verification, it raises concerns among potential customers who prefer not to share their personal documents. However, it’s important to note that secure age verification technology exists, as confirmed by the Age Verification Providers Association. 

1. Methods Without Personally Identifiable Information (Non-PII): The alternative age verification method, provided by Faceki, utilizes artificial intelligence (AI). Faceki’s AI-powered system can accurately estimate a person’s age by analyzing live photos or video feeds with 95% accuracy. This approach eliminates the need for most customers to submit personal documents, as document verification becomes necessary only in cases of doubt. Additionally, service providers have the flexibility to decide whether to retain data after it is used, enhancing privacy protection. 

Legislative Framework for Age Verification

In recent years, legislation surrounding age verification for adult entertainment has become more stringent. The UK took a pioneering step in 2017 with the Digital Economy Act, making it the first country to legally mandate age verification systems. Furthermore, the 2021 Online Safety Bill introduced new legal obligations requiring commercial providers of pornography and platforms hosting user-generated pornographic content to implement stringent age verification checks, ensuring users are 18 years or older. This legislation extends beyond commercial porn sites and encompasses any website that features adult content, including social media platforms. 

Likewise, the United States has begun exploring age verification requirements. Louisiana recently passed a law mandating stricter age verification protocols before individuals can access online pornography. The law specifies that businesses must employ a “commercially reasonable method” to verify users’ ages, suggesting government ID verification and database checks as potential solutions. 

Leveraging Faceki’s Age Verification Technology

With Faceki’s age verification system, businesses can obtain accurate age estimates within seconds and request identity documents only when necessary. The system can also be utilized as supplementary material to validate document authenticity. Faceki’s solutions are versatile and can be effectively implemented across various industries where age verification is crucial, including adult content platforms. 

The Faceki age verification process encompasses five simple steps: 

1. Liveness check 

1. Generation of photos with various filters to detect spoofing attempts 

1. Creation of a 3D biometric map of the customer’s face 

1. Comparison of spatial coordinates from the map 

1. Assignment of the user’s face to an appropriate age group

Additionally, Faceki offers several benefits, such as the option to choose additional age verification steps performed by either the business’s team or the Faceki team, seamless integration, and support for all major browsers and devices. 

In Conclusion Age verification serves as an essential onboarding step for any adult entertainment service aiming to protect children. It is equally important to emphasize that age verification should also apply to content creators, ensuring transparency regarding the origin of any uploaded content. By leveraging Faceki’s comprehensive age verification services, businesses can streamline compliance with the law, prioritize their clients’ safety, and focus on what truly matters to their core operations.  

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