Age verification is often met with a frightful sentiment. In general, people tend to view age verification as a burden and something unnecessary: “of course I am an adult trying to purchase alcohol, or watch porn.” It is easy to dismiss the reality of the online world, which is that it is accessible to everyone.
Why Age Verification Matters
Age verification matters for many reasons. Age verification is probably the most effective way we can ensure that the internet is a safer place. In real life, we would never allow a minor to buy a vape or order alcohol without identification. In fact, identification probably wouldn’t even be asked for as it would be obvious to someone that this person should not buy these products, yet your neighbour’s 15-year-old son is able to order a bottle of Vodka with an Uber Eats account.
The concept of the online world should be positive. There is access to information, convenience, and many aspects which cause improvement in everyday life, but it is not a perfect world. Age verification is important because it lets society put forward some of the safety protocols that would never be questioned in the physical world.
Prediction: How Age Verification will Evolve
In the year 2025, age verification continues to be brought more into light and stopped being seen as such a taboo topic. As of now, some porn websites in the EU have already been sanctioned for not having age verification systems at play, and it seems this will have a lasting impact on the direction of age verification. As a society, we seem to be moving towards the idea that age verification—so long as it is quick and easy—is important and it is not an inconvenience, but rather a way for us to practice what we preach.
Age verification will likely become an important societal and regulatory topic. There will exist a lot of discussion in age limits and freedoms and how they should be impacted. What is important to note is the move towards regulation is coming. Regulation does not move as fast as society, but now it is finally playing catch up to what has been a problem for a while.
Age verification will stop being a choice or a suggestion for businesses but will rather be an expectation. It is likely that it will become the norm as much as it may feel alien right now. Age verification will create an online environment that aids society to take back some of the control that has been lost as a result of poorly designed mechanisms.
Key Challenges for Businesses
From a social point of view, age verification can be considered positive—a reflection of our values in all parts of our society, even digital ones. From a business point of view, it’s not all rainbows and butterflies. Businesses will be the ones held responsible for age verification. Businesses will be penalized if non-compliant, but businesses will also be blamed by shoppers or users if age verification is too much of an obstacle—too slow, too inconvenient, too complex to use.
Businesses will be the ones to face the biggest challenge when it comes to age verification. Businesses will not only have to change the way in which they have been comfortably operating, but they will be the ones to bear the cost, not only in terms of actual money, but of user expectations.
Businesses therefore need to find a way to balance all of these needs. Adult content platforms, e-commerce sites, and delivery services all need to implement a solution which satisfies regulatory standards and the user desire to quickly arrive to their age-restricted content or product.
Industries Impacted
Age verification is a solution which will need to be implemented in a variety of sectors and industries. One of the biggest victims of this change will of course be adult content websites which up to now have had very limited regulation and limits put in place. This industry can be harmful to young audiences because of the type of content it hosts and so it is no surprise that it will require age check.
Other industries that will require age verification solutions include those in the e-commerce sector which provide products that are age-restricted. This includes sellers or providers of tobacco, alcohol, vapes and more. It is important to note that this is not limited to specialized stores but even includes local grocery stores.
What Businesses Should be Doing Now
It is necessary to recognize that this is where we are heading towards but we also need to acknowledge what the next steps are. It is not as simple as “alright, now you must have age verification, go.” There is a process. So what should businesses be doing now?
Firstly, businesses need to be aware and follow the regulations in their countries. It is important to be informed about any updates. Secondly, businesses need to have the capacity to offer various solutions. Not all solutions will be accepted by users and businesses need to be able to retain traffic and sales. It is important to know the different solutions in the market and how easily they can be integrated.
Bouncer Digital is an age estimation solution which works in seconds. Through the power of AI, Bouncer estimates users’ age in order to let them access age-regulated products. Book your free demo with Bouncer today and find out how we can help you face age verification in 2025.
