Age Verification Laws Secria

Age Verification Laws

How age verification works

Laws set the result, and the site picks a method that reaches it: an ID check, a face scan, a bank or card check, or a digital ID.1, 2 Ticking a box that says you are 18 is not enough in the UK, Brazil or, in the Commission's view, the EU.1, 3, 4

Checked 28 October 2026 against the sources.

The methods, and which laws name them

The UK lists methods that can be highly effective. US state laws like Texas's and Arizona's name the kinds of check a site may use.1, 2, 5

MethodWhat it checksNamed in
Government IDA passport or driving licence, often matched to a photo of youUK (photo ID matching), Texas, Arizona1, 2, 5
Facial age estimationAn estimate of your age from a selfie or short videoUK1
Transactional dataRecords of an exchange, such as mortgage, education or employment recordsTexas, Arizona2, 5
Open bankingYour bank confirms you are an adultUK1
Credit card checkA card that only adults can holdUK1
Mobile network checkWhether your phone account has age restrictionsUK1
Digital IDA reusable proof of identity or age held in an appUK, Texas, and the EU's age verification app1, 2, 6
Email-based age estimationAn estimate from where your email address has been usedUK1
 The "What it checks" column is our plain description of each method. The law or regulator in each cited source sets what counts.

This page describes laws and regulator guidance. It is not legal advice.

What does not count

Self-declaration

Ofcom says self-declaration of age, and online payments that don't require the payer to be 18, are not highly effective.1 Brazil's law requires reliable age checks at each access and rules out self-declaration.3

Warnings and labels

In its preliminary findings against four porn platforms, the European Commission said page blurring, content warnings and "Restricted to adults" labels do not stop minors.4 Ofcom says porn must not be visible before or during the check.1

Where the check happens

Most laws put the check on the site. Newer ones move it to the app store, and the EU's proposal adds a way to handle accounts that already exist.

At the app store

Texas's SB 2420 makes app stores verify each new account holder's age category and link a minor's account to a parent's.7 Read the Texas page for its court history.

From what an account already shows

Under the proposed EU KIDS Act, providers would estimate the age of existing account holders from proxies such as account age or credit card details.8 The UK government says many adults won't need a new check for social media under its planned ban, for example if their account has been open more than 16 years.9

What a site may keep

Some laws limit what happens to your data after the check. These are duties on the company, not a promise about any one verifier.

LawWhat it says
Texas HB 1181The site, or a third party that checks ages for it, may not retain any identifying information. Up to $10,000 a time for keeping it.2
Arizona, Laws 2025 ch. 193No retaining identifying information, and no passing it to any federal, state or local government. A person whose information was kept can sue.5
Texas SB 2420App stores must collect only the personal data needed for the age check, consent and compliance records, and send it encrypted.7
 As of 28 October 2026.

Questions people ask

Does age verification store your face or ID?

It depends on the law and the verifier. Texas and Arizona bar the site and its verifier from retaining identifying information.2, 5 Read the verifier's privacy notice to see what it does in practice.

Why is age verification everywhere now?

Many laws started at once. UK checks for porn were due by July 2025,1 Brazil's law took effect in March 2026,3 and Texas's app store law has been enforced since June 2026.10 See the full list.

Can I choose the method?

The site or platform picks which methods it offers. Ofcom's list means a UK service has several ways to meet the standard, not only ID uploads.1

Sources 10
  1. Age checks to protect children online, 16 January 2025, Ofcom. Read 28 October 2026 from the Internet Archive copy of 24 October 2026.
  2. HB 1181, 88th Legislature, enrolled text, Texas Legislature Online. Read 28 October 2026.
  3. Lei nº 15.211, de 17 de setembro de 2025, art. 9, Presidency of Brazil. Read 28 October 2026 from the Internet Archive copy of 22 October 2026.
  4. Commission preliminarily finds Pornhub, Stripchat, XNXX and XVideos in breach of the Digital Services Act, 26 March 2026, European Commission. Read 28 October 2026.
  5. Laws 2025, Chapter 193 (HB 2112), Arizona Legislature. Read 28 October 2026.
  6. EU age verification, European Commission. Read 28 October 2026.
  7. SB 2420, 89th Legislature, enrolled text, Texas Legislature Online. Read 28 October 2026.
  8. EU KIDS Act to restrict social media platforms' access to children in the EU, 17 September 2026, European Commission. Read 28 October 2026.
  9. Fact sheet: new rules to protect children online, Department for Science, Innovation and Technology. Read 28 October 2026.
  10. Update for apps distributed in Texas, 3 June 2026, Apple Developer News. Read 28 October 2026.

Every fact here comes from the law, the regulator or the company, checked again and dated. How we check