Age verification technologies are tools that try to determine or confirm a visitor’s age so online services can restrict access to age‑restricted content or products. Common approaches include: 1) self‑assertion (asking users to enter birthdate), 2) age estimation (using device/browser data, behavioral signals, or AI to estimate an age range), 3) document verification (checking government IDs), and 4) biometric/face‑scan or identity‑database checks. Systems are often combined (“waterfall”) to balance accuracy and privacy.
Age verification tools are most commonly used by services that sell or host age‑restricted goods or content: online gambling and iGaming, pornography and adult content sites, social media and video platforms (to protect youth), online gaming, and e‑commerce sellers of alcohol, tobacco, vaping products, or other restricted goods. Publishers, ad platforms, and identity‑service providers also deploy these tools.
Yes. The FTC’s January 28, 2026 Age Verification Workshop is open to the public and will be held online only. Registration is not required; the FTC posts a livestream/webcast link on the event page so anyone can watch the panels.
No: the workshop itself is an information‑gathering public event, not a final rule. The FTC uses workshops to hear from stakeholders and gather evidence; any rulemaking, guidance, or enforcement priorities would be announced separately and follow formal FTC procedures (rulemaking or enforcement processes).
Common privacy and security risks include: collection of sensitive personal data (IDs, biometrics) that increases identity‑theft risk; long‑term storage or resale of age data and profiling; inaccurate age estimates that misclassify people; potential bias in AI/biometric methods; and risks from centralizing identity data (breaches or abusive uses). Minimizing data collected and strong security and transparency are key mitigations.
The agenda lists opening remarks by FTC officials and four panels. Panel topics and named stakeholder types include: researchers and academics; industry representatives and age‑verification providers; consumer‑privacy advocates; state regulators and policy experts; and technologists from major platforms (Google, Meta, Apple) and age‑verification firms. The FTC posted the full agenda and speaker list on its event page and in the downloadable agenda and bios.