Age Gating vs. Age Verification: Choosing the Right Approach

As its name suggests, age gating limits access to content, products, or services based on the customer’s age. Typical examples of age-gated websites are those selling alcohol, tobacco, or firearms, gaming and gambling platforms, pornography websites, some social media sites, etc. 

Age gating is a basic method that emerged in the early 2000s when online activity started booming worldwide. It typically involves a simple prompt asking users to input their birthdate (sometimes from a dropdown menu) or confirm they meet a minimum age requirement, wthat can vary based on regional regulations: “Are you over 18?”, "Are you over 21?", etc.

Although cost-effective and simple, the age gating method has a major flaw. It relies entirely on user honesty, and there is no system to verify whether the information provided is real. A minor can easily bypass the restriction by entering a false birthdate.

This poses significant risks for businesses that employ age gating in sensitive industries. Not only do they fail to comply with regulatory requirements (such as the US Children's Online Privacy Protection Rule) and Know Your Customer (KYC) procedures, but they also jeopardize their brand reputation and customer trust.

Unlike age gating, age verification actively confirms a user's age through more robust and reliable methods. It requires age verification software and verifiable proof of identity. 

Age verification adds security layers that age gating lacks. It typically involves verifying official IDs like passports, driver’s licenses, or national ID cards through document verification software, ensuring that the ID is authentic and the data is accurate.

Additionally, biometric methods like face matching can be used to compare the ID photo with a real-time selfie, ensuring that the person using the ID is its rightful owner and that their age corresponds to the age shown in the document. 

Alternatively, biometric checks can be employed for age estimation. In this scenario, a user takes a selfie or undergoes a liveness check, and the technology assesses their age based on their facial traits, expressions, and so on. 

Unlike the self-reported nature of age gating, age verification authenticates the information provided, making it a far more secure and reliable solution for enforcing age restrictions, particularly in industries where compliance and user protection are critical.

Implementing age verification involves several steps, both mandatory and optional, to accurately confirm a user's age and identity. Here’s how a truly robust workflow unfolds:

1. User initiation. The process begins when a user attempts to access age-restricted content, products, or services. The platform prompts the user to verify their age.

2. Document upload. The user is required to upload a valid identity document, such as a passport or driver’s license.

3. Document verification. Using advanced IDV software, online platforms instantly validate the document's authenticity and the data it contains. For example, Regula Document Reader SDK can recognize and verify virtually any document from more than 251 countries and territories, since it is supported by the world’s most comprehensive identity document template database.

4. Biometric verification. The user is then prompted to take a live selfie. Using face matching technology, the platform compares this selfie with the photo on the uploaded document to confirm that the user is the rightful owner. Regula Face SDK integrates this functionality seamlessly, preventing a great variety of presentation attacks.

5. Data cross-comparison. This involves cross-checking the data from various ID zones to ensure that all details (like date of birth) match up and haven't been illegally altered.

Access decision. Based on the results of these checks, the user is either granted or denied access to the restricted content or services.

The security and reliability that come together with an age verification system allow businesses to benefit from a number of advancements. Among them:

Age verification laws are becoming increasingly stringent worldwide, particularly as more industries shift to online interactions. Failure to implement robust age verification can result in hefty fines, legal penalties, and damage to a brand’s reputation. For instance, in Texas, a new law imposes a civil penalty of up to $250,000 if a failure to implement proper age verification results in a minor accessing harmful content.

Implementing a reliable age verification system ensures compliance with laws in as many jurisdictions as possible, safeguarding minors and protecting businesses from legal risks.

Protecting younger internet users from inappropriate content and products has become a top priority for governments, society, and businesses. Again, age verification plays a crucial role in this. 

Whether it’s blocking underage access to gambling, alcohol, or explicit content, or preventing inappropriate interactions on social media, age verification offers a stronger safeguard than simple age gating. By verifying age through official documents and biometric checks, businesses can effectively prevent minors from bypassing restrictions.

Beyond compliance and protection, age verification helps build user trust. When users see that a platform takes security and privacy seriously, they’re more likely to engage with it. 

Additionally, age verification prevents fraudulent users from misrepresenting themselves, creating a safer environment. This is particularly important in industries like finance, e-commerce, and gaming, where fraud can have serious financial and reputational impacts.

Different in nature and capabilities, age gating and age verification serve the same purpose of enforcing age restrictions. It may seem that, with age verification available, age gating can be left behind. However, there are different scenarios where this simple technology works well and is worth using.

Age gating is often adequate for industries where the risk is relatively low, and legal requirements are minimal. 

For instance, entertainment and content platforms, such as video streaming sites, game platforms, or websites offering age-restricted content (like movies, books, or games) might use age gating as a basic measure. While not foolproof, it serves as a simple deterrent for underage users.  

Also, social media platforms that don’t involve significant risks for underage users, such as general social networking sites, may employ age gating to meet minimal compliance standards.

In contrast, age verification is crucial in highly regulated industries where the consequences of non-compliance are severe and the harm of interacting with inappropriate content leads to grave consequences. Among such use cases are:

• alcohol and tobacco sales;

• gambling (online casinos and betting platforms); 

• financial services (banks might need to ensure customers are of legal age for specific products, such as loans or investment accounts); 

• online gaming (especially paid games).

By choosing the appropriate method based on industry needs and legal requirements, businesses can better manage compliance and protect vulnerable users.

Today, when compliance and user protection are of paramount importance, the choice between age gating and age verification is more critical than ever. Here are the key takeaways to understand the strengths and limitations of each approach: