Age inference from account signals
Also called: age prediction, age estimation from behaviour, passive age assurance.
What it collects
Nothing extra from you. The service estimates your age from account behaviour and other signals it already holds, then may ask for one of the active methods above if it estimates you are under 18 (TikTok, Snapchat, Google and YouTube, Meta, ChatGPT and X all describe some form of this).
On this site a service that relies on inference alone is recorded as "no active age check" with the trigger "age estimated from account signals only".
What Ofcom says
Ofcom's July 2026 report states that age inference is not included in its guidance as a method capable of being highly effective, and that services relying on it must replace or supplement it without delay. Ofcom opened a section 12 investigation into TikTok's inference system on 16 July 2026. Ofcom
Not capable of being highly effective
Services in the index that offer it
| Service | Provider | Retention, as published |
|---|---|---|
| ChatGPT | in-house | Relies on inference; no active check recorded as of 6 September 2026. |
| Snapchat | in-house | Relies on inference; no active check recorded as of 6 September 2026. |
| TikTok | in-house | Relies on inference; no active check recorded as of 6 September 2026. |
| YouTube and Google Account | in-house | Relies on inference; no active check recorded as of 6 September 2026. |