Age assurance is different from finding out someone’s identity online. When age assurance checks are used, it only needs to know if someone is old enough or young enough to use a service, not their exact identity.
For example:
Companies that provide digital services, such as websites and apps, must check users' ages.
These companies must legally protect children and young people from harmful content and contacts. They need to verify if users are old enough to use their service, or make sure children can only access age-appropriate content.
Laws like the Digital Services Act (DSA) and Audiovisual Media Services Directive (AVMSD) require this.
Digital services (such as websites and apps). can be great for children and young people, offering fun and learning opportunities. But they can also be risky, exposing children to dangerous content or people who might harm them.
Laws sometimes require checking people's age to tell children apart from adults.
There are different ways to check someone's age online.
Age assurance checks if someone is old enough to use digital services (such as websites and apps). There are three main ways to do this:
On the first Thursday of November, people and organisations around the world stand together for the International Day against violence and bullying at school, including cyberbullying. The UNESCO Member States declared this day to recognise that violence, in all its forms, infringes on young people’s rights to education and their health and well-being.
The European Cybersecurity Challenge (ECSC) is an initiative by the European Union Agency for Cybersecurity (ENISA) which aims to enhance cybersecurity talent across Europe and connect high potentials with industry leading organisations. In this event, national cybersecurity teams made up of 10 best talents, aged between 14 and 25, are challenged to solve problems related to computer security, in the form of Capture The Flag (CFT) competitions.
