Google (age inference and Google Account verification)
Google LLC, headquartered in US. Website: support.google.com. Methods offered: other method, photo id, credit card, facial age estimation (face scan), email-based estimation.
verified 6 September 2026
Retention, as published by Google
“ID deleted after your date of birth is successfully verified; selfie then deleted; card data retained as necessary to meet legal and regulatory requirements”
Quoted from support.google.com; checked 6 September 2026. Period as stated: ID and selfie deleted after verification; card data retained for legal requirements.
Vendor default versus deployer configuration
The same vendor's retention is often stated differently by each service that deploys it. Both are shown, dated. Where the rows differ, the difference is the fact; this site does not decide which is right.
| Deployment | Method | What the deployment states | What Google states |
|---|---|---|---|
| YouTube and Google Account | Photo ID Primary source |
“deleted after your date of birth is successfully verified” Quoted from support.google.com; checked 6 September 2026. Held by the service. Period as stated: after verification. |
“ID deleted after your date of birth is successfully verified; selfie then deleted; card data retained as necessary to meet legal and regulatory requirements” Period as stated: ID and selfie deleted after verification; card data retained for legal requirements checked 6 September 2026 |
| YouTube and Google Account | Credit card Primary source |
“retained as necessary to meet legal and regulatory requirements” Quoted from support.google.com; checked 6 September 2026. Held by the service. Period as stated: retained for legal requirements. |
“ID deleted after your date of birth is successfully verified; selfie then deleted; card data retained as necessary to meet legal and regulatory requirements” Period as stated: ID and selfie deleted after verification; card data retained for legal requirements checked 6 September 2026 |
| YouTube and Google Account | Facial age estimation (face scan) Primary source |
“then deleted” Quoted from support.google.com; checked 6 September 2026. Held by the service. Period as stated: after check. |
“ID deleted after your date of birth is successfully verified; selfie then deleted; card data retained as necessary to meet legal and regulatory requirements” Period as stated: ID and selfie deleted after verification; card data retained for legal requirements checked 6 September 2026 |
Reported customers
Certifications
- ACCS certificate of conformity for facial age estimation, 18 Dec 2023 (EAL3 estimation, EAL1 liveness) biometricupdate.com
The UK Age Check Certification Scheme (ACCS) registry lists certificates with their expiry dates; a certificate that has lapsed is recorded as such once the registry shows it.
Regulator actions and published incidents
Regulators
- — Ofcom: 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 ofcom.org.uk
Questions people ask about Google
What does Google say it keeps?
"ID deleted after your date of birth is successfully verified; selfie then deleted; card data retained as necessary to meet legal and regulatory requirements" (support.google.com; checked 6 September 2026). Period as stated: ID and selfie deleted after verification; card data retained for legal requirements. Deployers can configure a different period; the vendor page shows each deployment's own wording beside this.
Is Google certified?
Recorded certifications: ACCS certificate of conformity for facial age estimation, 18 Dec 2023 (EAL3 estimation, EAL1 liveness). Each links to its source on the page; expiry dates are as stated there.
Has Google been fined or had a data incident?
Ofcom, 15 July 2026: 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
Which UK services use Google?
Recorded deployments: YouTube and Google Account.
Sources for this profile
Changes to this profile
Created 6 September 2026 from the research handover; no changes since.
Correct this entry
Vendors are welcome to correct their profile. Point us at the policy page and the wording is replaced with the quotation, dated. Send a correction. Nothing you send is published.