The age verification mechanism is used to determine whether or not a consumer is of legal age to purchase a certain good or service. There are two types of age verification services: manual and automated. The digital authentication approach has gained popularity in recent years as a more reliable, safe, and quick approach.
The Run-Through of Online Age Verification
The general steps in the online age verification process are stated below:
- Consumers go on the company’s website and type in their date of birth.
- Consumers are then asked to present their identification cards to the webcam.
- The age verification solution determines whether or not the identification card is visible to the camera.
- The system compares the DOB entered by consumers to the date of birth on their identity documents.
- As the system verifies that the consumers are the age they say to be, it compares it to the specified age category.
- Eventually, the consumer sees the results, which are also updated in the back office API.
Traditional and Unreliable Age Verification Checks
The majority of companies have self-verification age checks on their sites. While they are simple to carry out, they are entirely reliant on the consumer’s integrity. Kids will deceive the company by lying about their DOB to get access to their system. Furthermore, the manual checking method is vulnerable to human error and takes quite a long time to carry out. In addition, companies use third-party postal agencies to check a consumer’s age at the time of delivery, but this is not 100 percent accurate. The postal agents can be bribed, corrupted, or straight up conned into believing that the person is of legal age.Businesses in Dire Need of Age Verification SystemsOnline Gaming
In the United States of America, more than 90% of teens play computer games, according to the Entertainment Software Association (ESA). On these platforms, they are subjected to excessive online abuse and bullying, not to mention extreme graphic violence. Because of these factors in the online gaming industry, the gaming censor boards set age limits, but there is no robust and accurate way to validate the age without a digital age verification solution.
E-Commerce
Teens make 86 percent of internet transactions on mobile phones in the United States, as per IDmerit. Here, a legitimate credit card number is used for online transactions. It may be a child making an unauthorized transaction using their parents’ credit card. Therefore, for the age-restricted e-commerce market, the solutions that carry out the process of age verification online, are a must.
Drugs and Pharmaceuticals
To ensure compliance with age regulations, online stores must use age verification systems to check their consumers. Furthermore, companies have a legal obligation to keep these substances out of the reach of minors.
Online Dating Apps
Grown-ups dating adolescents can have serious consequences on both sides. Even if the child’s age is incorrectly stated by the under-age teen, the adult can face disciplinary action. As a result, online dating sites immediately need a system to screen children.
Online Gambling and Betting
Adolescents are not permitted to participate in age-restricted online gaming and gambling. However, they do so by using their parents’ credit cards without their consent. Furthermore, for the purpose of the child’s cognitive development and the financial security of their parents, this sector must check the ages of their clients.
What do the Businesses Gain from it?
Apart from complying with rules and legislation regarding age restrictions, companies gain a lot from using an age verification tool to check the accuracy of age-verified. Moreover, if a company does not check its consumers’ ages and offers age-restricted goods to children, whether intentionally or unintentionally, it debases its reputation.
Furthermore, companies can also escape criminal tactics targeted at obtaining rewards such as old age funds and pensions. This can happen if someone impersonates their family elders and the business lets them in as they are not conducting proper ID and age verification checks. Eventually, corporations can gain status in society as a socially conscious organization, increasing their brand appeal.