Age Gating

Age-gated content is all sorts of material online, which can be a substance or a service that has an age gate preventing minors from accessing such information. This can be adult-oriented content, such as OnlyFans, and other services intended for adults, such as financial services or online betting and gambling games. Age-gated content also includes R-rated movies, trailers, video games, and other forms of violent or graphic media. 

Age gating is a simpler, less secure method. In contrast, age verification is based on more advanced techniques. Often, age verification systems are used when there’s a higher need for certainty about a user’s age, while age gating typically involves self-declaration or ticking checkboxes, which is a suitable method in unregulated industries, where confirming a user’s age is done for ethical reasons, and not as a method to ensure compliance. 

Many jurisdictions enforce laws that control access to specific content based on age. Age gating is a standard method used by businesses that are required to ensure security and abide by these regulations to avoid penalties. Alternatively, age gating is linked to a broader strategy to comply with data protection regulations, which have specific rules for gathering data from minors. 

Some examples of regulatory compliance rules with age restriction requirements include:

• UK Online Safety Bill
• The Kids’ Online Safety Act (KOSA)
• California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA)
• General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)

Age gating appears as a prompt or form that users must respond to before accessing a specific site or application.

The most common types of age gating are:

• Self-Declaration. This method requires users to provide their birth date to confirm they are of legal age. For example, websites ask if the user is over 18 before they’re allowed to access the content. 
• Knowledge-Based Verification. This type requires users to answer questions that younger individuals are unlikely to know correctly.

However, the concrete type of the age gate typically depends on the regulatory requirements and the level of risk associated with underage access to the content or service. 

It depends on the age gate that’s used, but in general, age gating isn’t considered a foolproof method of verifying a user’s age, especially compared to complete age verification systems that use the person’s government-issued ID document or ask them to upload a selfie. For example, self-declaration is bypassable because users can provide false information and enter the wrong date of birth. As a result, platforms combine different methods for age gates to maximize security. 

Age gating affects different age groups depending on the restricted content or service.

However, there are certain age thresholds which are used to define such restrictions:

• Under 13: Child privacy laws (for example, COPPA or KOSA), social media restrictions.
• 13 – 17: Teen-specific protections, limited social media features.
• Under 18: “Adult” content, gambling, violent content restrictions.
• 18 – 20: Alcohol-related content restrictions (US-specific).
• Under 21: Alcohol websites/marketing, gambling in some jurisdictions.

The specific age thresholds can vary by country, region, and industry. Content and service providers must stay informed about their operational jurisdictions’ relevant age restriction laws to implement appropriate age gates.

Prompts asking for age or related questions can frustrate users, reducing conversions. Moreover, for businesses, storing personal data creates security and compliance risks. Balancing these challenges with the need for protection and compliance remains an ongoing issue in digital content management.