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Exploring bias in credit card-based age verification

We publish the accuracy rates of our facial age estimation technology, split by gender, age and skin tone. By being open and transparent, we hope to give businesses and users confidence in the technology. We also hope this helps regulators to fairly review facial age estimation as an effective age assurance method. However whilst evaluating facial age estimation, some stakeholders and regulators overlook the drawbacks and bias shown in other age assurance approaches.   Bias and limitations of using credit cards for age verification One age check method approved in many countries is asking adults to use a credit card

7 min read
An image of a person holding smart phone in their left hand. On the phone's display is a Yoti Digital ID showing their verified credentials. In the person's right hand is their physical UK driving licence. The person is holding the two forms of ID next to each other.

From physical to digital: how we transform your ID

There can be hidden beauty in things taking on new forms. A caterpillar becoming a butterfly, water turning into wine, a physical ID transforming into a Digital ID. If you’ve ever wondered how we do it, wonder no more. As we continue to shape the future of digital identity, we’ll continue sharing our methods with you. After all, the Digital ID app is created for you, so it’s only right we let you in on the magic.   What is a Digital ID? A Digital ID is your ID on your phone and your data in your hands. It gives

5 min read
An image of a person's smartphone. The person is using Yoti's facial age estimation technology. Next to this image, the text reads: "externally audited, over 600 million age checks, used by leading brands". Underneath this list are the logos of Instagram, Aldi, SuperAwesome and Only Fans.

Age assurance: What makes for the maturity of a technology or an industry?

Last week, the Australian government decided against the eSafety Commissioner’s recommendation of a pilot before requiring adult sites to verify the ages of visitors. They said this was due to concerns about the privacy of people’s data and the maturity of age assurance technology. So what exactly would constitute a mature technology? Is it something comparable to NASA’s Technology Readiness level? This suggests the technology needs to have gone through a thorough process of research and prototyping, before testing in a live environment and then ultimately rolling it out. If that’s the case, we can say that Yoti and other

7 min read
An illustration of a padlock with the Yoti logo sitting at the centre. Alongside this are three smaller icons showing that the app is free (represented by a pound sign that has been crossed out, cannot be hacked (represented by a pickaxe that has been crossed out) or seen by any third parties (represented by an eye that has been crossed out).

How we build Digital IDs with privacy and security at their core

We’re committed to making the digital world safer for everyone. Yoti was created as we wanted to give every person a secure way of proving their age or identity. It’s quite literally why we exist. So it only made sense that we’ve built our Digital ID apps with privacy and security at their core. We’re building technology that makes it easier and safer for you to go about your business, but that doesn’t mean we have to know your business. Just as the right to an identity is a fundamental human right, so is the right to privacy. And we’ll

6 min read
An infographic detailing the stages of effective facial age estimation. This is presented as three layers. The first layer is facial age estimation with liveness detection only. The description reads "check the person behind the camera is a 'live' person and not a photo or video." The second layer adds independent testing. The description reads "have a credible third party assess the technology for data compliance, bias and accuracy". The third layer adds injection attack detection. It reads "add robust anti-spoofing technology at the point an image is being taken to detect injection attacks.

Effective facial age estimation: a privacy-preserving approach to age assurance

For platforms to deliver age-appropriate content, they need to know the age of their users. Age estimation technology can provide an inclusive and accessible solution. It’s possible to estimate a person’s age from a number of features, including their voice, face, palm or fingerprints. Some age estimation methods are very accurate. Others collect little or even no personal data. But very few can do both. When done to a high standard, effective facial age estimation can offer a high level of privacy and a high level of assurance.   Age estimation in the real world Consider the following situation: a

8 min read
Infographic displaying the stages of doing effective age verification with ID documents. Namely, Document authenticity check (low assurance) + Proof of ownership (medium assurance) + Liveness check (high assurance).

Effective Age Verification: Going beyond reading a date of birth on an ID

Regulators around the world are recognising that more needs to be done to protect children from harmful content online. From the Age Appropriate Design Code and the Digital Services Act to the Online Safety Act and California Age Appropriate Design Code, businesses are being required to have age-appropriate controls in place. But to do this, they need to know the age of those accessing their services. After all, if they don’t know someone’s age, they can’t protect them. This raises some important questions. How should companies verify the ages of their users? How can they ensure age verification is

6 min read