The Age Assurance Technology Trial evaluated the effectiveness, reliability and privacy impacts of a range of age assurance technologies. By evaluating a range of age assurance systems – including age analysis, AI-based estimation, parental consent/control and identity document verification – the Trial assessed the feasibility of these technologies in real-world applications, ensuring they were accurate, user-friendly and privacy preserving.

The evaluation assessed the performance of age assurance technologies against a wide range of internationally recognised criteria. It includes assessment of age verification, age estimation, age inference, successive validation, parental control and parental consent solutions. It also examines how these technologies operate within the broader technology stack and how age assurance is integrated across different layers of the digital ecosystem. 

The report is not a set of policy recommendations or endorsements for certain types of age assurance technology. It could be used as a basis for regulators to provide more detailed information relating to their remit, including compliance expectations and challenges.

Key findings

• Age assurance can be done in Australia privately, efficiently and effectively.
• No substantial technological limitations prevent its implementation to meet policy goals.
• Robust, appropriate and secure data handling practices were found.
• There is scope to enhance usability, risk management and system interoperability.
• Parental control tools can be effective but may constrain children’s digital participation and evolving autonomy.
• Systems generally align with cybersecurity best practice, but vigilance is required.
• Unnecessary data retention may occur in apparent anticipation of future regulatory needs.