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23 Signals

Zero-Knowledge Behavioral Age Verification API

Verify user age and compliance without storing IDs, biometrics, or personal data.

Added Jan 16, 2026

Privacy

Security

Compliance

Opportunity Score

Opportunity: High (79%)

Evidence Strength

Vol: 6%

Urg: 90%

Spec: 90%

Market Analysis

medium

$ high

The Problem

Governments are increasingly mandating strict age verification for social media and online platforms, but current solutions require invasive ID uploads or facial recognition scans. These methods create massive privacy risks, potential for surveillance, and irreversible biometric data exposure.

Potential Solution

A developer API that uses behavioral biometrics (like hand movement analysis or interaction patterns) or zero-knowledge cryptography to estimate age. The solution ensures compliance by verifying age brackets without ever storing, transmitting, or linking personal identity documents or facial scans to the user.

Why Now?

Recent legislation in the EU, Australia, and Malaysia is forcing platforms to implement age checks immediately, while public backlash against invasive surveillance is driving demand for privacy-preserving alternatives.

Showing 1-20 of 23 signals

Apr 14, 2026

Proposed law to require age verification in operating systems

A bill is being proposed to require "operating system providers to verify the age of any user of an operating system, and for other purposes." [congress.gov/.../all-info](congress.gov/.../all-info)

Apr 13, 2026

AGE CHECKS ARE A TOTAL INVASION OF PRIVACY

Look, nobody thinks children should have unrestricted access to the Internet. THAT DOES NOT, IN ANY WAY, MEAN IT IS OK FOR COMPANIES TO ASK FOR MY FACE, DRIVER’S LICENSE, ETC. THAT IS \*MY\* PRIVATE INFORMATION AND NOBODY IS ALLOWED TO HAVE IT EXCEPT ME (and the government of course)!!! For example, Roblox (a gaming platform for those unaware) now requires you to do a facial scan to confirm you are old enough to chat, play games restricted to 18 or older, etc. That was the day I decided I’m done chatting on Roblox. It really sucks, but my privacy is IMMEASURABLY more important than chatting online. The ONLY exceptions to date were the following: 1. A bank (which needed both my face and my license), and even then, I was reluctant to comply until my parents assured me that the bank needed them both to provide a loan for my college. 2. An online proctoring application that needed my face in view to ensure I wasn’t cheating when I took a test virtually (some of my professors decided to give them online to do at anytime instead of proctoring them in class during class time, necessitating a way to ensure no cheating was occurring). Oh, and another thing, that “your image will be instantly deleted once we confirm your age” message is A BIG LOAD OF BULLSHIT. How the fuck can I trust a fucking website to store my confidential information???? Answer: I CAN’T. Even providing payment information online has its own risk of being hacked and in the hands of a criminal, but if that happens and they use it to buy stuff, you can simply dispute the charges with your bank and even freeze your account. You CANNOT do that with your face or driver’s license. Once they have that shit, THEY HAVE IT. TL;DR — Being asked to provide your face or license on the Internet is way too fucking risky due to how much bad shit could happen to you if it ends up in the wrong hands. Payment information is risky as well, but it’s much safer because that at least has safeguards. Rant over

Apr 11, 2026

Age verification

I don't see why they don't use driving licence like alcohol & tobacco, esp now that we have RealID. To set up another layer is absurd. Just like those who wanted contact tracing for COVID when tracing sewage worked just as well. Don't let overeager marmelennial programmers create unnecessary complexity just to show off their skills.

Mar 29, 2026

The California age verification is much worse than most people realize.

For now, age verification will be self reporting and will use the honor system. Windows, Mac, Linux, and BSD will have an easy for you to put in your age. Smart phones on the other hand will have no way for you to type in your age because of how closed the OS is. If smart phones have no way to self report your age, guess what you are going to get, Apples verification System (UK). In the UK, people have reported that just about every app is locked down until you verify your age/identity.

Mar 28, 2026

Governments don’t care about “protecting children”

Governments around the world are introducing “Age Verification” it’s when you have to give a photo or live video of your face to an AI that estimates your age to determine whether you meet the minimum age required to access a feature or service. This is becoming mandatory in many different countries all for the same reason to “protect children“ but that’s a lie, it’s actually a tool that strips away people’s privacy. Persona is a third party company that does these checks for big platforms like Roblox and even Reddit. They state that they delete your face right after they have estimated your age but that’s all false as it has been found that they are a government surveillance tool which means they have been storing your face and have been using it to find even more of your information like your name to track you. Many other company’s could be apart of this or could even be selling your data to others. This is very bad as many children have been scanning their faces with these tools meaning anyone can get a hold of these photos, share it online or worse. It has been months since Persona has been exposed and governments have made no changes to these laws. which proves they don’t care about protecting children or anyone online. This so called system that “protects children“ is actually increasing the dangers online for all age groups.

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Zero-Knowledge Behavioral Age Verification API?