FPF updates age verification risks and potential harms infographic

The Future of Privacy Forum (FPF) has updated its June 2023 infographic on the rapid evolution of age-assurance technologies and policies. The latest infographic introduces a fourth assessment category, inference, which uses behavioural signals, account characteristics, or financial transactions to infer a user’s age range. In addition, the update downplays age declaration as a standalone solution, clarifying that it is instead a preliminary step within layered safety systems due to its high circumvention rates.

Separately, the infographic highlights emerging risks, including the loss of user anonymity, secondary data use, and potential data breach impacts. To mitigate these, the FPF proposes using advanced risk-management tools, such as zero-knowledge proofs, on-device processing, and tokenisation technologies, to enable age verification without excessive data disclosure or retention. Ultimately, the findings reinforce that no universal solution exists. Effective age assurance must be risk-based and use-case-specific, balancing safety goals with privacy rights. 

In related news, the Global Online Safety Regulators Network (GOSRN) published a positioning statement outlining the network’s shared view that the protection of children and their rights online is vital, and requires a common, principles-based and privacy-preserving international approach to age assurance.  

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