Age-Assurance Providers Cheer Australian Report on Verification Technology
An Australian government review of age-assurance technology shows that it "works, that it can be privacy-preserving and that it is mature enough to give policymakers real confidence," the Age Verification Providers Association (AVPA) said Monday.
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The report from the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sport and the Arts examined techniques for age assurance, verification and estimation. It determined that "age assurance can be done in Australia privately, efficiently and effectively, and that there are no substantial technological limitations preventing its implementation to meet policy goals."
The government independently validated 48 age-assurance provider claims against the project's criteria, finding that while there's a wide range of approaches, there's no one-size-fits-all solution. The trial used a range of tests involving more than 1,000 schoolchildren and adult mystery shoppers across the country.
"We found a dynamic, innovative and evolving age assurance service sector," the report said. Companies used robust, appropriate and secure data handling practices, and systems broadly performed consistently across demographic groups, including Indigenous populations. Providers are aligning with emerging international standards around age assurance, the report noted.
However, the government cautioned that usability, risk management and system interoperability could be better. It also said parental-control tools can work but may limit children's digital participation and evolving autonomy.
The report also found "concerning evidence" that without specific guidance, verification service providers could be over-anticipating regulators' needs for providing personal information for future investigations.
Some providers, the report noted, were building tools to allow regulators, law enforcement or coroners to retrace people's actions to verify their age, "which could lead to increased risk of privacy breaches due to unnecessary and disproportionate collection and retention of data."
The systems reviewed generally aligned with cybersecurity best practices, "but vigilance is required," the government added.
The AVPA praised the "rigour of the methodology," saying the report's design, documentation and independent technical review "strengthen confidence in the result." The organization said it will consider the government's concerns carefully with its members.
The trial also makes a strong case for independent, third-party providers, AVPA said. It and other age-verification organizations challenged the U.K. government in May over an announcement that seemed to signal that the government would compete directly with the private-sector digital ID market (see 2505160002).