Age verification system

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An adult verification system or Adult / Age Verification System (also age verification system , AVS ) is a technical solution to the age, particularly the age of majority to be confirmed and people. These systems are mainly used on pornographic websites or in online shops that sell films or computer games that are only allowed to be bought by adults. They thus serve to ensure age-controlled closed user groups on the Internet. In addition, since 2007 in cigarette machines that are only allowed to be operated by persons at least 18 years old. The systems primarily serve to protect minors .

General

According to German law, every website must ensure that content harmful to minors is not delivered to young people. A verification is necessary for this, which determines the age of the person at least once and which ensures the identity of the user with the person checked in the case of the delivery of content that is harmful to minors. The legislature does not specify in detail which procedures must be used.

For the users of such offers, the problem arises of verifying the age of each individual provider. The operators of web offers must apply suitable procedures and be able to prove their suitability in case of doubt in court. The specific admissibility of test procedures has already been the subject of legal proceedings before the Federal Court of Justice .

Out of these problems, specialized companies have established themselves on the Internet that offer age verification as a service. A user can prove his age to an AVS provider. The AVS provider confirms to the website (content provider) that this user is of legal age. In this way, the user can prove his age with a single age check for a large number of web offers.

This separation between the check by the AVS and the procurement of content from the actual provider has the advantage from the data protection point of view that the actual provider cannot access the data that may have been recorded during the age check. The provider only learns the result of the age check.

In addition to this basic function, the AVS can also contribute to the billing of chargeable offers. In this case, the AVS collects usage fees on behalf of the content provider and forwards them to the operator of the website.

Examination procedure (examples)

Proof of age formally includes a partial authentication (English authentication , German also authentication ). The identity of the person is not authenticated.

Identity card / passport

The presentation of the identity card is a legally permitted procedure for verification (authentication) when dealing with content that is harmful to young people.

When checking the age using an ID card or passport , the age contained in the identification number is read out and the check digits of the ID number are verified in order to ensure the validity of the information.

In the extended procedure, the specific authority code for the place of residence also contained in the identification number can be compared with the specified place of residence.

The advantage of this process is that it can be carried out quickly and does not require any additional software or auxiliary equipment from the customer. Another advantage of this process is that there is no media break . With many other types of checks - such as Postident or other face-to-face checks - the time required for Internet surfers to falsify the ID is too great. The Internet surfer who wants to consume something usually wants to do so immediately and not in two to three days when a face-to-face check would be possible. Therefore, these hurdles are simply bypassed by accessing unprotected sites from abroad.

The admissibility of this procedure has been the subject of years of legal disputes. So far, checking the identity card number has been the only procedure that has really been accepted by users and operators, with several million users and several 100,000 website operators from Germany, Austria and Switzerland . This also ensured broad-based protection of minors. Other systems - recommended by "Jugendschutz.net GmbH" or the Commission for Youth Media Protection (KJM) - that work on the basis of face-to-face control did not initially meet with much support, as these systems were hardly accepted by users .

Due to the current rulings and the ban on checking the identity card number, almost all AVS now work according to the same guidelines. However, many adult entertainment providers have relocated their companies abroad for fear of economic ruin due to a lack of user acceptance.

Weak points

The identification number is unsuitable for full authentication, as the process for calculating the ID number is well known and apparently valid numbers can therefore be easily reproduced. Even the additional verification of the authority code (BKZ) does not protect against such abusive generators, since it is possible with newer versions to generate valid numbers with any BKZ. You don't even have to use the combination BKZ for your own place of residence (which would also be possible if you just wanted to falsify the age), since larger tables can be found by a simple search on the Internet.

Database check and registered mail

The providers check the identity of the customer via central databases, e.g. B. via the identity check with Q-Bit from Schufa Holding AG or electronic query of registration registers and send the required password to the customer by personal registered mail. The procedure is considered to be very secure, but requires a waiting time to complete and the price is relatively high.

Database check and debit

The AVS receives the user's account data. These account data are compared with information that can confirm that the user presented ID when setting up his account and is therefore of legal age. The provider books an amount from the user's account and transmits a password in the booking text. With this password, the user can identify himself to his AVS as the person who is the account holder.

Webcam

The user connects to the AVS via the Internet. An examiner assesses the appearance and voice. Can only be used if the appearance is clear.

eID function of the new identity card (Germany)

Age queries can be carried out using the eID function of the new identity card without further data being disclosed. The application only confirms or denies the query whether a person has passed a certain age.

Postident procedure

When checking using the Postident method, the customer must have his age checked at a post office. Swiss Post then sends the customer's data to the provider. The procedure is considered to be very secure, but it requires a waiting time to complete and the price is quite high. The procedure does not rule out that the transmitted data is passed on without authorization. The disadvantage of this method is the media discontinuity. This has the following effects, for example:

A customer wants to buy something. However, it must be age verified to complete the purchase process. To do this, he must fill out a form so that his age can be checked using the Postident procedure. After submitting the form, he cannot complete his purchase, but must first wait for the duration of two to three days. Only after receipt of the Postident document can he complete the purchase. Normally, the customer expects to simply visit a shop or website without such a check and to be able to complete his purchase immediately.

ID pass, formerly NetGate

This age verification method is a Deutsche Telekom procedure that has been positively assessed by the KJM and FSM. Telekom uses age verification with an ID pass for its own services such as MagentaTV, but also offers it to third parties as an AVS service. A user of the service first registers online and then goes through a verification with Telekom's own video ID or a bank ID process. After successful verification, the user assigns himself his own adult PIN, which can be used immediately with all ID-Pass partners.

Debit card

Information (youth protection feature) can be stored on the contact chip of the cash card , which can be used to confirm that the holder is at least 16 years old or of legal age. The youth protection feature can be read out using a simple card reader (class 1: without keyboard and display), a pocket card reader or through a walk to the cigarette machine.

Since January 1, 2007, cigarette machines have only worked for coin payers if you identify yourself with a cash card. Section 10 (2) of the Youth Protection Act prescribes that tobacco products may only be offered in vending machines if a vending machine

1. is set up in a place inaccessible to children and young people under the age of 18 or
2. Technical devices or constant supervision ensure that children and young people under the age of 18 cannot remove tobacco products.

When using the cash card as an AVS , no separate four-eye control is required, as this has already taken place when the account is opened and the cash card with youth protection feature is only issued to their customers by financial institutions. According to information from manufacturers of card reading devices, the spread of card reading devices in connection with new cash cards among end consumers is currently in the range of tens of thousands.

Giropay ID

With Giropay-ID, German savings banks and banks provide KJM-compliant online age verification. Giropay-ID, like the Giropay online transfer process, is based on online banking with PIN and TAN. If the customer carries out an age verification using Giropay ID, he is directed to the online banking of his bank or savings bank participating in Giropay ID. There he logs in with his usual access data and instructs his bank to confirm his age to the dealer. The dealer then receives the full name and the attribute "of legal age yes / no" directly from the bank. This means that the age verification can be carried out online for a final case.

A special feature of Giropay-ID is the ability to combine age verification directly with a Giropay payment. In this case, the customer only verifies and pays for one TAN by entering it. First, the age verification is carried out and only in the case of success (customer is of legal age) the payment is made.

Statutory Regulations

Germany

In Germany, an AVS is mandatory for all websites that are harmful to minors. Which option of age control the provider chooses for this is up to him. The decisive factor is Section 184 of the Criminal Code and the State Treaty on Youth Media Protection (JMStV). Section 10 (2) of the Youth Protection Act applies to cigarette machines .

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