Self-declaration
Also called: entering a date of birth, age gate tick box.
What it collects
A date of birth or a confirmation that you are over 18, typed in by you.
Recorded on this site for Crunchyroll (an 18+ content-restriction setting that the account holder confirms with the account password), Depop and Replika (a typed date of birth at sign-up). None of these is an age check capable of being highly effective, and each entry’s status reflects that; a service relying on self-declaration alone is recorded as having no active age check.
What Ofcom says
Ofcom's January 2025 guidance states that self-declaration is not capable of being highly effective. The ICO's February 2026 decision against Reddit found that relying on users to declare their own age was not enough where children may be at risk. Ofcom
Not capable of being highly effective
Services with a recorded route
| Service | Provider | Retention, as published |
|---|---|---|
| Crunchyroll | Crunchyroll account settings (in-house) |
No published retention period found (checked 18 October 2026). The account holder changes a profile’s Content Restrictions from the default “Ages 16 and up” to “Ages 18 and up” and enters the account password; Crunchyroll: “Switching content restrictions to 18+ confirms that you are of legal age to view mature content.” No date of birth, document or face is collected by this step according to the page, and no retention statement is published, so the absence line applies. |
| Depop | Depop account sign-up (in-house) |
No published retention period found (checked 18 October 2026). A typed date of birth, asked for at first sign-up and again at Depop Payments sign-up. Depop’s page: “We’ll use your date of birth to confirm you’re old enough to use Depop. Knowing the age of our users also helps us build a better and more tailored experience for the entire Depop community.” and “Your date of birth is not visible to other users.” Depop’s privacy policy (effective 3 September 2023): “We also collect your date of birth when you create an account, which we use for our legitimate interests in verifying your details, understanding the age range of our users, and providing age appropriate service and support to our users.” The page does not describe any check of the typed date beyond the ID route for corrections. |
| Replika | Replika account sign-up (in-house) |
No published retention period found (checked 18 October 2026). A typed birth date at account creation (Privacy Policy: “We ask you to provide your birth date … when you create an account for the Apps.”), described by Replika’s 2023 blog as “an age gate that requires users to confirm their age”. The help article says a birthday changed after 24–48 hours needs the user to “confirm your age before you can chat with your avatar again”, without saying how. No retention statement about the birth date beyond the policy’s general terms is published, so the absence line applies. |