The Spanish Ministry of Digital Transformation on 1 July launched “technical specifications for age verification”, with an app allowing users to obtain tokens proving they are over 18 that can be used to access pornography sites.
“We welcome the commitment of the Spanish regulator to address this issue which is a critical component to ensure age-appropriate experiences for children online,” said 5Rights Executive Director Leanda Barrington-Leach. “It is positive that more stakeholders are working on practical solutions that are effective and rights-respecting. We hope this will contribute to the development of a robust regulatory framework for age assurance systems based on best practice as set out in the industry standard IEEE 2089-1.”
Effective age verification is a necessity for access to products and services that are legally restricted by age, such as pornography or gambling. Age assurance more broadly, including age estimation techniques, is an important starting point to provide age-appropriate experiences; it should not be used to shut children out, or instead of age-appropriate design of service. In many cases, making services safe for the youngest users is a preferable option that precludes the need for knowing age.
When age-assurance systems are in place, they should meet the following minimum standards: