Email-based age estimation
Also called: email check.
What it collects
Your email address. It is checked against records of where that address has been used, for example with financial-services or utility providers, to estimate whether the holder is an adult. VerifyMy is the named provider for Google; Aylo used an email route in the UK.
VerifyMy's certification test figures for this method are on its vendor page with the source.
What Ofcom says
Listed in Ofcom's January 2025 guidance as capable of being highly effective. Ofcom
Listed as capable of being highly effective Offered by about 22% of the services in Ofcom's July 2026 sample (read from the report's chart; approximate).
Services with a recorded route
| Service | Provider | Retention, as published |
|---|---|---|
| Google Account and Google Search | VerifyMy |
“VerifyMy doesn’t save your email address or use it for any purpose except to verify your age.” Quoted from support.google.com; checked 18 October 2026. Held by the vendor. Period as stated: Email address not saved by VerifyMy; Google’s page: “they won’t keep your email address any longer than needed for verification”. Google’s page: “Not all age verification options are available in all regions.” Google’s page: “Google provides your email address to VerifyMy, a third-party partner that performs the verification. VerifyMy will share your email address with its partners to review sites and apps where you have previously used this email address. No other data associated with your account is shared.” and “VerifyMy is responsible for processing that data to determine whether you’re 18 or older. They won't try to determine your exact age or whether you're under 18.” Verifymy’s own Google policy is quoted on the YouTube and Verifymy pages. |
| Pornhub, YouPorn, RedTube | Aylo in-house and third parties |
No published retention period found (checked 18 October 2026). |
| X and Grok | not named |
No published retention period found (checked 18 October 2026). X's own page: “Users’ email address will be used to estimate their age.” No retention wording is published for it. |
| YouTube | VerifyMy |
“We and our partners will delete your personal data immediately as soon as the Check is complete and the result has been shared with Google.” Quoted from verifymy.io, dated June 2024; checked 18 October 2026. Held by the vendor. Period as stated: immediately. Verifymy’s Google policy still says “This Privacy Policy was last updated June 2024.” (page metadata modified 13 October 2026). Google’s page: “VerifyMy doesn’t save your email address or use it for any purpose except to verify your age.” |