Global Landscape of Age Verification Legislation

Age verification legislation is advancing rapidly across the world. What was once a voluntary best practice is now a legal obligation in a growing number of jurisdictions, covering everything from social media and online gaming to adult content and e-commerce. This infographic maps the current global landscape — showing which countries have passed legislation and which have proposals in progress — and sets out the sectors, verification methods and statistics shaping the compliance agenda.

Countries with age verification legislation

Eight major jurisdictions now have age verification legislation either in force or in active progress:

• United Kingdom — the Online Safety Act requires platforms to implement highly effective age verification, with Ofcom overseeing enforcement.
• United States — no single federal law, but states including Texas and Tennessee have enacted legislation such as the Kids Online Safety Act and adult content verification requirements. 19 US states have enacted laws mandating that pornographic websites verify users’ ages since 2022.
• Australia — the Basic Online Safety Expectations framework, alongside the world-first under-16 social media ban that came into force in December 2025.
• France — the SREN Law requires age verification for access to pornographic content, with ISP-level blocking for non-compliant sites.
• Spain — the Digital Wallet Beta programme is developing a national digital identity framework that includes age verification.
• Italy — Decree-Law No. 123 places obligations on platforms hosting age-restricted content.
• European Union — the Digital Services Act requires very large online platforms to assess and mitigate risks to minors, including through age verification measures.
• Canada — Bill S-210 proposes mandatory age verification for sites hosting sexually explicit content.

Sectors requiring online age verification

Regulation is focused on five sectors where the risk of underage access is considered highest: online dating, online gaming, social media, adult content, and e-commerce. Each presents different challenges — adult content sites face the strictest obligations, while social media platforms are under increasing pressure following high-profile cases linking platform use to harm in young people.

Age verification methods

Five main methods are currently in use: email verification, facial age estimation, mobile number checks, credit card checks, and ID document checks. Each has advantages but users typically prefer methods that introduce the least friction. In situations where a user might not feel comfortable sharing face data or credit card details, a more discreet approach tends to be favoured. Mobile number verification sits in a strong position here — it is private, seamless and functional, requiring only a phone number rather than a document upload or biometric scan.

The statistics behind the legislation

The infographic draws on data from the BBC and the Children’s Commissioner to illustrate why legislators are acting with urgency:

• The average age at which children first encounter pornography is 13.
• 79% had encountered violent pornography before the age of 18.
• By age 9, 10% of children had already seen pornographic content.
• By age 11, that figure had risen to 27%.
• 22% of children aged 8 to 17 falsely claim to be 18 or over on social media.

These figures explain why a simple “I am over 18” tick box is no longer considered adequate. The gap between self-declaration and verified age is precisely where effective verification technology needs to operate.

How TMT ID can help

TMT ID verifies age using mobile network data — requiring only a phone number to confirm whether a user meets the required age threshold. The check is seamless, privacy-first, and returns a result in milliseconds without asking users to upload documents or submit to facial scanning. This approach aligns with regulatory guidance in the UK, where Ofcom has explicitly named mobile network operator checks as an approved method under the Online Safety Act.

To find out how TMT ID’s age verification solutions can support your compliance obligations, speak to our team or explore our age assurance solutions.