{"generated":"2026-09-06","source":"https://agecheckindex.co.uk/methodology/","licence":"Facts quoted from published sources, compiled by UK Age Check Index. Cite the source_url and last_verified on each row; not legal advice.","vendors":[{"id":"k-id","name":"k-ID","legal_entity":"Kidentify Pte Ltd","hq_country":"SG","website":"https://k-id.com/","methods":["facial_age_estimation","photo_id"],"retention":{"quote":"k-ID does NOT store the information that you provide to prove your age. All we store is the result of the verification process.","images_deleted":"immediately","period":"On-device facial estimation; images never uploaded","source_url":"https://k-id.com/privacy-policy","source_date":"2026-07-10"},"certifications":[{"name":"ACCS 0:2021 and ACCS 3:2021 (Age Appropriate Design), valid to 4 Apr 2027","source_url":"https://accscheme.com/registry/age-assurance/kidentify-pte-ltd"}],"accuracy_claims":[],"regulatory_history":[],"incidents":[],"known_customers":[{"service_id":"discord","source_url":"https://discord.com/blog/getting-global-age-assurance-right-what-we-got-wrong-and-whats-changing","date":"2026-02-24"},{"service_id":"twitch","source_url":"https://k-id.com/news-posts/twitch","date":"2025-09-16"},{"service_id":"tumblr","source_url":"https://changes.tumblr.com/post/815889531565916160","date":"2026-05-06"},{"service_id":"kick-streaming","source_url":"https://help.kick.com/en/articles/12947994-age-assurance-faqs","date":null}],"last_verified":"2026-09-06","sources":[{"url":"https://k-id.com/privacy-policy","title":"k-ID privacy policy","type":"other","date":"2026-07-10"}],"open_questions":["Facial estimation is delegated to Privately; Privately accuracy figures not captured"],"url":"https://agecheckindex.co.uk/vendors/k-id/"},{"id":"persona","name":"Persona","legal_entity":"Persona Identities, Inc.","hq_country":"US","website":"https://withpersona.com/","methods":["photo_id","facial_age_estimation"],"retention":{"quote":"Persona deletes all of your personal information including any images within 3 days.","images_deleted":"after_check","period":"Deployer-configured: 3 days (Reddit FAQ, 2026), 7 days (Reddit press, Jul 2025), 30 days (Roblox), up to 3 years ceiling in Persona privacy policy (secondary)","source_url":"https://help.withpersona.com/articles/7F6BaF9h8Fxf0XWkwQscXN/","source_date":null},"certifications":[],"accuracy_claims":[],"regulatory_history":[],"incidents":[{"date":"2026-02","summary":"Exposed frontend: 2,456 files and 269 verification checks including watch-list/PEP screening reported by an independent researcher; Persona disputed the insecurity claim. The Oct 2025 Discord ID leak (~70k IDs) was via support vendor 5CA/Zendesk, not Persona.","source_url":"https://www.malwarebytes.com/blog/news/2026/02/age-verification-vendor-persona-left-frontend-exposed"}],"known_customers":[{"service_id":"reddit","source_url":"https://www.biometricupdate.com/202507/reddit-deploys-selfie-and-document-age-verification-from-persona","date":"2025-07-14"},{"service_id":"roblox","source_url":"https://about.roblox.com/newsroom/2026/01/roblox-age-checks-required-to-chat","date":"2026-01-07"},{"service_id":"chatgpt","source_url":"https://www.siliconrepublic.com/business/openai-chatgpt-age-prediction-eu-globally-persona","date":"2026-01-21"},{"service_id":"x-twitter","source_url":"https://ppc.land/x-implements-age-verification-system-behind-premium-paywall/","date":"2025-07-25"}],"last_verified":"2026-09-06","sources":[{"url":"https://help.withpersona.com/articles/7F6BaF9h8Fxf0XWkwQscXN/","title":"Persona help: Reddit deployment","type":"other","date":null},{"url":"https://allaboutcookies.org/is-persona-safe","title":"Is Persona safe? (secondary)","type":"other","date":"2026-07-09"}],"open_questions":["Persona privacy policy page returned 403; the 3-year ceiling is from secondary reporting","ACCS status unverified","Discord dropped Persona 24 Feb 2026 after the exposure report"],"url":"https://agecheckindex.co.uk/vendors/persona/"},{"id":"yoti","name":"Yoti","legal_entity":"Yoti Ltd","hq_country":"GB","website":"https://www.yoti.com/","methods":["facial_age_estimation","photo_id","digital_id_wallet","reusable_digital_id"],"retention":{"quote":"Images are not stored, shared, re-used or sold on. Images are immediately and permanently deleted… we do not use them for our own learning or training purposes.","images_deleted":"immediately","period":"immediately (age estimation); Yoti app account data used for training with consent, deleted after 3 years of inactivity","source_url":"https://www.yoti.com/wp-content/uploads/Yoti-Age-Estimation-White-Paper-July-2025-PUBLIC-v1.pdf","source_date":"2025-07"},"certifications":[{"name":"ISO 27001, ISO 27701, SOC 2 Type II, PAS 1296:2018","source_url":"https://www.comparitech.com/blog/information-security/what-is-yoti-age-verification/"}],"accuracy_claims":[{"claim":"MAE 1.1 years for ages 13–17; TPR 99.3% for 13–17 estimated under 21","source_url":"https://www.yoti.com/wp-content/uploads/Yoti-Age-Estimation-White-Paper-July-2025-PUBLIC-v1.pdf"}],"regulatory_history":[{"regulator":"ICO","date":"2022-05","summary":"Regulatory Sandbox exit report","source_url":"https://ico.org.uk/media2/migrated/4020427/yoti-sandbox-exit_report_20220522.pdf"},{"regulator":"AEPD (Spain)","date":"2026-03-25","summary":"€950,000 fine: €500k unlawful biometric processing, €200k invalid consent, €250k excessive retention. Yoti rejects the decision; appeal pending.","source_url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yoti"}],"incidents":[],"known_customers":[{"service_id":"spotify","source_url":"https://www.spotify.com/uk/safetyandprivacy/age-assurance","date":"2025-07"},{"service_id":"xbox","source_url":"https://news.xbox.com/en-us/2025/07/28/xbox-age-verification-uk/","date":"2025-07-28"},{"service_id":"playstation","source_url":"https://www.playstation.com/en-gb/support/account/age-verification-faq/","date":"2026-06-01"},{"service_id":"instagram","source_url":"https://www.biometricupdate.com/202411/meta-announces-new-age-checking-measures","date":"2024-11"}],"last_verified":"2026-09-06","sources":[{"url":"https://www.yoti.com/blog/facial-age-estimation-faq-frequently-asked-questions","title":"Yoti FAE FAQ","type":"other","date":null},{"url":"https://www.yoti.com/wp-content/uploads/Yoti-Age-Estimation-White-Paper-July-2025-PUBLIC-v1.pdf","title":"White paper July 2025","type":"other","date":"2025-07"}],"open_questions":["ACCS registry status not confirmed (not on the Age Assurance category page fetched 6 Sep 2026)","Yoti age-verification privacy policy page returned 403; quote is from the white paper","AEPD appeal outcome","AEPD decision date is given as 10 March 2026 in research/03 and 25 March 2026 in research/02; the AEPD resolution itself was not fetched"],"url":"https://agecheckindex.co.uk/vendors/yoti/"},{"id":"apple","name":"Apple (device-level age check and Declared Age Range API)","legal_entity":"Apple Inc.","hq_country":"US","website":"https://www.apple.com/uk/","methods":["credit_card","photo_id","other"],"retention":{"quote":"Your credit card or ID document aren't stored unless you choose to save them","images_deleted":"not_stated","period":"not stated","source_url":"https://www.biometricupdate.com/202603/apple-makes-age-filters-default-for-uk-iphone-users","source_date":"2026-03-25"},"certifications":[],"accuracy_claims":[],"regulatory_history":[{"regulator":"Ofcom","date":"2026-03","summary":"Ofcom welcomed the iOS 26.4 UK device-level check; AVPA disputes it meets highly-effective age assurance","source_url":"https://www.biometricupdate.com/202605/pornhub-returns-to-uk-but-only-for-ios-users"}],"incidents":[{"date":"2026-04","summary":"Reddit age-check loop on iOS reported","source_url":"https://piunikaweb.com/"}],"known_customers":[{"service_id":"aylo-pornhub","source_url":"https://www.biometricupdate.com/202605/pornhub-returns-to-uk-but-only-for-ios-users","date":"2026-05-05"}],"last_verified":"2026-09-06","sources":[{"url":"https://gizmodo.com/apple-requires-device-level-age-verification-in-the-uk-now-could-the-us-be-next-2000738481","title":"Gizmodo on iOS 26.4 UK check","type":"press","date":"2026-03-26"}],"open_questions":["Quote is via press; Apple support page not fetched"],"url":"https://agecheckindex.co.uk/vendors/apple/"},{"id":"epic-kws","name":"Epic Kids Web Services","legal_entity":"Kids Web Services Ltd (Epic Games)","hq_country":"GB","website":"https://www.kidswebservices.com/","methods":["facial_age_estimation","photo_id","credit_card","parental_consent"],"retention":{"quote":"stores verified status with your hashed email address; retains for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes","images_deleted":"not_stated","period":"Delegated to method vendor (Yoti face, Veriff ID, Stripe card)","source_url":"https://www.kidswebservices.com/privacy-policy","source_date":null},"certifications":[],"accuracy_claims":[],"regulatory_history":[],"incidents":[],"known_customers":[{"service_id":"bluesky","source_url":"https://bsky.social/about/blog/07-10-2025-age-assurance","date":"2025-07-10"}],"last_verified":"2026-09-06","sources":[{"url":"https://dev.epicgames.com/docs/kids-web-services/age-verification-service/av-service-verification-methods","title":"KWS verification methods","type":"other","date":null}],"open_questions":["Not on ACCS registry"],"url":"https://agecheckindex.co.uk/vendors/epic-kws/"},{"id":"google","name":"Google (age inference and Google Account verification)","legal_entity":"Google LLC","hq_country":"US","website":"https://support.google.com/accounts/answer/10071085","methods":["other","photo_id","credit_card","facial_age_estimation","email_estimation"],"retention":{"quote":"ID deleted after your date of birth is successfully verified; selfie then deleted; card data retained as necessary to meet legal and regulatory requirements","images_deleted":"after_check","period":"ID and selfie deleted after verification; card data retained for legal requirements","source_url":"https://support.google.com/accounts/answer/10071085","source_date":null},"certifications":[{"name":"ACCS certificate of conformity for facial age estimation, 18 Dec 2023 (EAL3 estimation, EAL1 liveness)","source_url":"https://www.biometricupdate.com/202312/google-receives-certificate-for-facial-age-estimation-in-the-uk"}],"accuracy_claims":[],"regulatory_history":[{"regulator":"Ofcom","date":"2026-07-15","summary":"Age inference \"not included in our HEAA guidance as a method capable of being highly effective\"; 33% of first-page Google results linked to unprotected porn sites","source_url":"https://www.ofcom.org.uk/online-safety/protecting-children/use-of-age-assurance-report-2026"}],"incidents":[],"known_customers":[{"service_id":"youtube","source_url":"https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/16422785","date":null}],"last_verified":"2026-09-06","sources":[{"url":"https://support.google.com/accounts/answer/10071085","title":"Google Account age verification","type":"other","date":null}],"open_questions":[],"url":"https://agecheckindex.co.uk/vendors/google/"},{"id":"ondato","name":"Ondato","legal_entity":"Ondato UAB","hq_country":"LT","website":"https://ondato.com/","methods":["facial_age_estimation","photo_id","reusable_digital_id"],"retention":{"quote":"deletes biometric data instantly. Only the result — old enough or not old enough — remains","images_deleted":"immediately","period":"instantly (OnAge)","source_url":"https://ondato.com/age-verification/reusable-age-verification","source_date":null},"certifications":[{"name":"ACCS IEEE 2089.1-2024 Effective (to 11 Feb 2028) and Highly Effective (to 8 Apr 2028); ISO 27001, 27018","source_url":"https://accscheme.com/registry/age-estimation/ondato"}],"accuracy_claims":[],"regulatory_history":[],"incidents":[],"known_customers":[{"service_id":"onlyfans","source_url":"https://ondato.com/case-studies/onlyfans-case-study/","date":null}],"last_verified":"2026-09-06","sources":[{"url":"https://ondato.com/age-verification/reusable-age-verification","title":"Ondato OnAge","type":"other","date":null}],"open_questions":[],"url":"https://agecheckindex.co.uk/vendors/ondato/"},{"id":"veratad","name":"Veratad","legal_entity":"Veratad Technologies LLC","hq_country":"US","website":"https://veratad.com/","methods":["photo_id","facial_age_estimation","reusable_digital_id","other"],"retention":{"quote":"No retention statement found on the age-verification product page (checked 6 Sep 2026).","images_deleted":"not_stated","period":null,"source_url":"https://veratad.com/solutions/age-verification","source_date":null},"certifications":[{"name":"ACCS 1:2025 / ISO/IEC 27566-1:2025, VX platform v2.4, issued 14 Apr 2026, valid to 14 Apr 2029","source_url":"https://accscheme.com/registry/age-assurance/veratad-technologies-llc"}],"accuracy_claims":[],"regulatory_history":[],"incidents":[],"known_customers":[{"service_id":"discord","source_url":"https://discord.com/blog/getting-global-age-assurance-right-what-we-got-wrong-and-whats-changing","date":"2026-02-24"}],"last_verified":"2026-09-06","sources":[{"url":"https://veratad.com/solutions/age-verification","title":"Veratad age verification","type":"other","date":null}],"open_questions":["Retention policy not located","Discord ID-document route reported via press"],"url":"https://agecheckindex.co.uk/vendors/veratad/"},{"id":"verifymy","name":"VerifyMy","legal_entity":"VerifyMy Limited (KYC AVC UK Ltd)","hq_country":"GB","website":"https://verifymy.io/","methods":["email_estimation","facial_age_estimation","photo_id","credit_card"],"retention":{"quote":"delete your personal data immediately as soon as the Check is complete","images_deleted":"immediately","period":"immediately (email-based estimation for Google)","source_url":"https://verifymy.io/age-verification-and-estimation/google-age-assurance-privacy-policy","source_date":"2024-06"},"certifications":[{"name":"IEEE 2089.1-2024 (Age Estimation API, to 21 Sep 2027); ACCS 1:2025/ISO 27566-1 (to 20 May 2029)","source_url":"https://accscheme.com/registry/age-assurance/kyc-avc-uk-ltd-verify-my-age"}],"accuracy_claims":[{"claim":"ACCS test: 0% false positives at ±18, TPR 97.76%, max error 2 years (email estimation)","source_url":"https://www.biometricupdate.com/202502/email-address-age-assurance-is-private-compliant-and-simple"}],"regulatory_history":[],"incidents":[],"known_customers":[{"service_id":"youtube","source_url":"https://verifymy.io/age-verification-and-estimation/google-age-assurance-privacy-policy","date":"2024-06"}],"last_verified":"2026-09-06","sources":[{"url":"https://verifymy.io/age-verification-and-estimation/google-age-assurance-privacy-policy","title":"VerifyMy Google privacy policy","type":"other","date":"2024-06"}],"open_questions":["FAE retention policy not fetched"],"url":"https://agecheckindex.co.uk/vendors/verifymy/"},{"id":"oneid","name":"OneID","legal_entity":"OneID Ltd","hq_country":"GB","website":"https://oneid.uk/","methods":["open_banking","mobile_operator","photo_id","facial_age_estimation","reusable_digital_id"],"retention":{"quote":"No long-term personal data retention","images_deleted":"not_stated","period":"not stated","source_url":"https://oneid.uk/oneid-age-verification","source_date":null},"certifications":[{"name":"DVS trust framework (first OSP and holder provider); FCA open-banking FRN 928911","source_url":"https://oneid.uk/about-us"}],"accuracy_claims":[{"claim":"4.5m checks in the first days after 25 Jul 2025 (3.4m MNO, 1.1m bank); 90% pass via bank data","source_url":"https://oneid.uk/news-and-events/"}],"regulatory_history":[],"incidents":[],"known_customers":[],"last_verified":"2026-09-06","sources":[{"url":"https://oneid.uk/oneid-age-verification","title":"OneID age verification","type":"other","date":null}],"open_questions":["No named UK consumer-service customer found"],"url":"https://agecheckindex.co.uk/vendors/oneid/"}]}