Search by product, support information & more
Most popular searches:
Read our Latest Blogs >Click here for Technical Support >
See Which Events We're Attending
Please note the website login function is temporarily under maintenance. We apologise for any inconvenience.
|
The UK’s age verification technology is increasingly used to protect underage individuals from accessing age-restricted products. However, concerns about privacy, data security, and accuracy often arise. By the end of this blog, you’ll understand how Innovative Technology’s solutions address these issues and why they can be trusted.
Over time, three major concerns seem to have emerged surrounding the technology:
Data Privacy:Â Concern over who owns and how personal data is managed.
Accuracy: Doubts about the technology’s ability to reliably estimate age.
Trust & Compliance:Â Ensuring the technology is safe and compliant with legal standards.
Are they justified? Do they enter the legal sphere? This blog attempts to look at and address the concerns about this burgeoning technology.
The collection of biometrics, face scanning, and personal data can be a cause for concern. However, protocols are in place to protect people’s data.
Before age estimation technologies can be sold commercially, they must meet specific criteria. Although not mandatory, approval from the Age Check Certification Scheme (ACCS) guarantees assurance standards within the UK and is approved by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) under Article 42 of UK GDPR. This independent third-party assessment service ensures that age assurance services meet established standards.
The ICO has approved the ACCS criteria for assessing data protection, privacy (ACCS 2:20215), and age-appropriate design (ACCS 3:20216). These technical requirements ensure that age estimation technology is fit for deployment for specific challenge age categories, such as Challenge 25, where anyone younger than 25 is asked for proof of age to ensure they are over 18.
Accuracy and privacy are crucial for the technology’s effectiveness and for ensuring staff and customers feel comfortable using it. Therefore, stringent requirements are necessary to ensure the technology is fit and safe for the identified minimum ‘challenge age.’ Customers feel more at ease when biometric technology has been rigorously tested and proven to work, so clear signage can help prevent uncertainty and give customers more confidence to use the technology.
Other methods to provide reassurance to your customers include:
Still confused? Get in touch, IT’s age verification experts are always more than happy to help you overcome these concerns.Â
According to the ACS Crime Report 2024, enforcing age-restricted sales laws is the second most common trigger for abuse in stores.Â
Staff abuse is unacceptable. One effective way to protect staff members is to implement AI technology rather than putting employees in harm’s way through manual checks alone. Psychologically, customers can focus their frustration away from the shop staff.
Age estimation technology uses biometric data to estimate an individual’s age based on biological characteristics.
Key Benefits for Businesses Aside from Staff Protection:
Why Choose Innovative Technology as Your Partner:
At Innovative Technology, we prioritise your customers’ comfort and safety. The Age Check Certification Scheme (ACCS) gave the GDPR certification (ACCS 2:2021 Technical Requirements for Data Protection and Privacy) for our age estimation range, providing extra assurance for your business and customers. Our age estimation is completely anonymous. The information we process cannot be used to identify a unique individual. We never store any personal data; the calculation is done locally, so data is never sent over a network where it could be vulnerable to hackers.Â
We routinely test our technology both internally and with relevant administrative bodies, such as the ACCS, to give us the confidence to proudly showcase our products. Our age estimation range has obtained independent certification (ACCS 1:2020 Technical Requirements for Age Estimation Technologies). The independent test results show that our products, on average overestimate 18-year-olds by 0.39 years and have an MAE (Mean Absolute Error) of under one year. Our technology is more accurate than human assessment, offering peace of mind that your underage customers are well-protected.
We develop our products with accessibility at the forefront. We’re committed to preventing the sale of age-restricted products to underage individuals without imposing a premium price. We sell our biometric products at a fixed price (including software updates and unlimited age checks) in opposition to recurring or hidden costs, which are common across the industry.
MyCheckr is our standalone, automated device designed to estimate age, giving staff an extra level of assurance. It enables you to get started immediately with minimal installation. It utilises our proprietary biometric technology, suitable for Challenge25, and delivers market-leading accuracy in age prediction.
Biometric technology is becoming increasingly commonplace in our everyday lives, so why not use it to help businesses comply with requirements designed to keep our community safe? While using biometric technology in UK age verification raises essential questions and concerns – we’re always open to having those conversations. It’s not the most accessible subject matter, and concerns can flair up quickly – so let’s talk.Â