Age Assurance: Addressing Non-Compliance, Circumvention, and Unintended Consequences
On Tuesday 4 November, the Law and Tech Research Centre (LTRC) hosted its first expert panel event on “Age Assurance: Addressing Non-Compliance, Circumvention, and Unintended Consequences”. The panel discussed the variety of age assurance technologies used to implement the requirements of the Online Safety Act 2023 (OSA) to restrict the access of children to harmful online content.
The panel discussed emerging evidence on non-compliance with the OSA, circumvention of age assurance methods, unintended consequences for user experience and rights online, and the international regulation of industry practices. The panel also commented on current evidence gaps concerning the implementation of the OSA and what steps should be prioritised in the future.
This event was organised by the Law and Tech Research Centre in association with Privacy Laws & Business (https://www.privacylaws.com). A recording of the event can be accessed here:
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Speakers:
Dr Mando Rachovitsa, Associate Professor in Human Rights Law, University of Nottingham. Dr Rachovitsa’s expertise lies in the areas of human rights law and technology law, including advanced AI.
Ellie Colegate, Teaching Associate, University of Nottingham. Ellie specialises in the Online Safety Act 2023. Her recently submitted PhD thesis, undertaken at the EPSRC Horizon Centre for Doctoral Training, investigated how the Act was likely to impact young people and their everyday interactions with social media platforms and online content.
Dr Claire Bessant, Associate Professor, Northumbria Law School. Dr Bessant’s interests focus on the impact of technology on children’s privacy online, including the phenomenon of sharenting and social media use.
Andy Lulham, Chief Operating Officer, Verifymy. Verifymy is a safety technology provider on a mission to safeguard children and society online. It provides age verification across a range of social media, adult entertainment, online gaming, online marketplace, and online dating websites.
Julie Dawson, Chief Policy and Regulatory Officer, Yoti. Yoti offers reuseable digital ID and age assurance. It undertakes over 1 million daily checks for a third of the largest platforms, including Meta, TikTok, Sony, Only Fans, and Phillip Morris.