Making age assurance work for children online

Date: 8th April 2021
Category: Disability, Basic Health and Welfare

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Age assurances are methods to differentiate the age or age-range of an online user. This new report ‘But how do they know it is a child?’ examines the common approaches to age assurance, including their strengths, weaknesses and sets out the common standards that must underpin widespread adoption.

The report sets out that common standards of privacy, security and proportionality, backed by a regulatory framework with oversight and accountability is necessary to build the internet that young people deserve.

In doing so, age assurances can be used to create a digital environment for children that offers them greater privacy, freedom from commercial pressures, content and information in formats and language that they like and protection from misinformation or material that promotes harmful activities. Age assurances can improve the digital sphere for children instead of reducing their access.

Find out more about age assurances and this report here.