UK Age Check Index

Character.AI: age checks in the UK

Age assurance runs on every account from login information, platform activity and third-party signals. Accounts placed under 18 lose chat with Characters unless the user verifies through a Persona selfie, then an ID if needed. Character.AI: deleted within 7 days.

Check required for listed access AI chat Character Technologies, Inc. verified 18 October 2026

Facts panel

Published statements are shown with their sources and the dates we checked them. Missing information and availability limits remain explicit.

Domain
character.ai
Age check

No Character.AI page read names the UK. Blog, 21 November 2025: the rollout began in the US “and that rollout will continue globally in the near future”. Help page (24 June 2026): “Age Assurance is being introduced step by step, so the pop-up might not show up for everyone right away.”

Check required for listed access, first recorded November 2025
Triggered by
the whole service; age estimated from account signals only
Applies to
accounts the service estimates to be under 18
Notes
Character.AI’s “What is Age Assurance?” page (17 July 2026, read 18 October 2026): “All users are required to complete an age assurance check.” “Users verified as 18 or older continue to have full access to chat with characters and all standard platform features. Users verified as under 18 are placed in the Under-18 experience, which includes reading mode. Chat with characters is not available in this experience.” Its Age Assurance FAQ (1 August 2026): “First, we run our ‘age assurance’ tech. That just means we look at a number of signals, including login info, activity on the platform, and some signals from third parties.” “If the process indicates you’re under 18, we’ll let you know. At that point you can either use the under-18 experience, or you can choose to do age verification to get back to the 18+ experience.” “You won’t have to do age verification – i.e. you won’t be asked for a selfie – unless we believe you’re under 18 and you want to prove that you’re actually 18+.” The first-observed month is from Character.AI’s blog of 21 November 2025 (“We have already begun rolling out our new age assurance technology in the US”); no UK date is given on any page read.
Methods
InferenceFace scanPhoto ID
Vendor
Persona; Other recorded providers for inference,
Overall record checked
18 October 2026. Individual methods may have later checks, shown below.

Methods and retention, one row per method

MethodProviderRetention, as publishedSource
In-house age inference Provider not identified

No published retention period found (checked 18 October 2026).

Notes: Character.AI’s FAQ: “We’ll look at a number of signals, including login info, activity on the platform, and some signals from third parties. This is a standard way that companies do age assurance.” and “Our age assurance tech doesn’t require you to submit any extra personal data.” Its 29 October 2025 blog: “We have built an age assurance model in-house and will be combining it with leading third-party tools including Persona.” No retention wording is given for the estimate.

 support.character.ai, dated 1 August 2026
Primary source · checked 18 October 2026
Facial age estimation (face scan) Persona
“Any biometric data or ID submitted is automatically and permanently deleted within 7 days. Character.AI does not have access to your submissions at any point.”

Quoted from support.character.ai, dated 14 July 2026; checked 18 October 2026. Held by the vendor. Period as stated: Deleted by Persona within 7 days (Character.AI’s statement).

Notes: Character.AI’s data page: “Character.AI does not collect or store any personal data submitted during age verification. All submissions are handled entirely by Persona, our trusted third-party identity assurance partner.” “Most users will only need to complete a selfie — no ID required.” Its FAQ: “Our service provider Persona processes your information to verify your age, identify fraud, and for quality assurance. Any biometric information is deleted within seven (7) days.” Its troubleshooting page (11 September 2026): “Your selfie must show your real, natural appearance”; verification can be completed on any device by scanning a QR code.

 support.character.ai, dated 14 July 2026
Primary source · checked 18 October 2026
Photo ID Persona
“For those users who do get prompted for an ID, it’s collected by Persona, not C.AI. Persona is a reputable third-party provider with strong safety and security controls. And they only keep the IDs they collect for one week.”

Quoted from support.character.ai, dated 1 August 2026; checked 18 October 2026. Held by the vendor. Period as stated: ID kept by Persona for one week (Character.AI’s statement); its data page says “within 7 days”.

Notes: Character.AI’s data page: “A government-issued ID is only requested as a final step if Persona is unable to confirm your age from the selfie alone.” Its FAQ: “During the age verification process with Persona, some users are required to provide a government-issued ID based on the results of the initial face scan. In this case, an accepted form of ID is required to continue. Without a valid ID, the verification process cannot be completed and the account cannot move forward.” Its troubleshooting page lists driver’s licence, passport, passport card, identification card, consular ID, certificate of citizenship, permanent residence card and immigration visa, says “The image must be of a physical ID, not a digital or electronic copy”, and “there is no alternative to submitting a selfie or government ID if you are prompted to do so.”

 support.character.ai, dated 1 August 2026
Primary source · checked 18 October 2026

What you will see

What happens
Most users see nothing: Character.AI runs its age assurance on every account in the background. If it indicates you are under 18, a pop-up tells you; you can stay in the Under-18 experience (reading mode, no chat with Characters) or verify through Persona, taking a selfie first and uploading a government ID only if Persona cannot confirm your age from the selfie. The check can also be started from Settings → Advanced → Verify Age in the app or on the web.
How long it takes
Character.AI: the selfie check “only takes seconds”.
If you decline
You stay in the Under-18 experience. Character.AI: “Chat features will not be available, and your account will be in reading mode.” If an ID is requested, “Without a valid ID, the verification process cannot be completed and the account cannot move forward.” A Character.AI+ subscription does not override the age assurance process.
Official help page
support.character.ai

Questions people ask about Character.AI

Does Character.AI require age verification in the UK?

Yes. As of 18 October 2026, Character.AI requires an age check for the whole service, applying to accounts the service estimates to be under 18. First recorded November 2025. No Character.AI page read names the UK. Blog, 21 November 2025: the rollout began in the US “and that rollout will continue globally in the near future”. Help page (24 June 2026): “Age Assurance is being introduced step by step, so the pop-up might not show up for everyone right away.”

Is the Character.AI age check a face scan?

A face scan (facial age estimation) is one of 3 recorded methods: In-house age inference, Facial age estimation (face scan) and Photo ID. Provider named: Persona. Which methods a service offers can change; the date each was checked is shown on the page. No Character.AI page read names the UK. Blog, 21 November 2025: the rollout began in the US “and that rollout will continue globally in the near future”. Help page (24 June 2026): “Age Assurance is being introduced step by step, so the pop-up might not show up for everyone right away.”

What does Character.AI keep after the age check?

In-house age inference via the service: No published retention period found (checked 18 October 2026). Facial age estimation (face scan) via Persona: "Any biometric data or ID submitted is automatically and permanently deleted within 7 days. Character.AI does not have access to your submissions at any point." (support.character.ai, dated 14 July 2026; checked 18 October 2026). Photo ID via Persona: "For those users who do get prompted for an ID, it’s collected by Persona, not C.AI. Persona is a reputable third-party provider with strong safety and security controls. And they only keep the IDs they collect for one week." (support.character.ai, dated 1 August 2026; checked 18 October 2026). No Character.AI page read names the UK. Blog, 21 November 2025: the rollout began in the US “and that rollout will continue globally in the near future”. Help page (24 June 2026): “Age Assurance is being introduced step by step, so the pop-up might not show up for everyone right away.”

What if the Character.AI age check is not working?

This site records what the service publishes; it does not troubleshoot or offer workarounds. Character.AI's own help page is https://support.character.ai/hc/en-us/articles/53182286684059-What-is-Age-Assurance. The record lists 3 methods; availability depends on the service and account: In-house age inference, Facial age estimation (face scan) and Photo ID. If you do not complete the check, the service states: You stay in the Under-18 experience. Character.AI: “Chat features will not be available, and your account will be in reading mode.” If an ID is requested, “Without a valid ID, the verification process cannot be completed and the account cannot move forward.” A Character.AI+ subscription does not override the age assurance process. No Character.AI page read names the UK. Blog, 21 November 2025: the rollout began in the US “and that rollout will continue globally in the near future”. Help page (24 June 2026): “Age Assurance is being introduced step by step, so the pop-up might not show up for everyone right away.”

Regulator actions

No Ofcom or ICO action naming this service is recorded as of 18 October 2026.

Full enforcement register · Regulatory timeline

Sources for this entry

Changes to this record

RSS feed for this record · All changes

Correct this entry

If Character.AI's own page says something different, that page wins and we want to know. Send a correction with the URL. Corrections are answered within a week and logged above with their source. Nothing you send is published.