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Written by
Compliance Team
28th May, 2025

Age checking systems can now be certified against 5Rights-led technical standard

The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers’ new certification on age assurance is built on the 2089.1 standard, co-developed by 5Rights Foundation as part of a broader set of standards grounded in 5Rights principles. 

A wider view of a person sitting at a desk using a laptop, with the IEEE Standards Association website visible on the screen. The workspace includes a wooden table, a cup, and a plant in the softly lit background.

The Institute for Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) has announced a new certification scheme for its 2089.1 Standard for Online Age Verification, a standard led and co-developed by 5Rights Foundation in partnership with IEEE. 

Part of a growing “family” of international standards grounded in 5Rights principles, IEEE 2089.1 was designed to ensure that age assurance measures do not come at the expense of children’s privacy, safety and agency. 

This new certification on age assurance reflects the ongoing collaboration between 5Rights’ and IEEE to bring coherence and accountability in a fragmented operational landscape. It gives tech companies the means to demonstrate to regulators and consumers alike that their age assurance systems work and are rights respecting. 

Age assurance can play a supporting role in efforts to comply with various regulatory schemes around the world such as the Age-Appropriate Design Code (UK), COPPA (US), DPDPA (India), and GDPR (EU). But for age assurance to support these regulatory efforts effectively, it must be implemented in a way that is privacy-preserving, proportionate and rights-respecting.  

The new certification scheme will be offered in partnership with the Age Check Certification Scheme (ACCS) in the UK. ACCS Managing Director, Tony Allen, noted that while various standards have emerged in recent years, IEEE 2089.1 distinguishes itself as detailed and practical, while maintaining consistency with alternatives such as ISO/IEC 27566 and a clear international scope.  

In a digital future that increasingly recognises the specific needs and rights of children, the 2089.1 certification marks therefore a crucial step forward as it provides regulators with a ready-made, internationally recognised benchmark for what proportionate, privacy-preserving and rights-respecting age assurance systems look like.