Digital identity firm, Yoti, is offering age checks through its Digital ID app for free to any business, removing any cost barriers businesses might face when verifying the age of users. It said it is able to do so, as it generates revenues from its other solutions, including right to work, KYC and identity verification checks.

Yoti notes that while age verification is something we are all very familiar with, when it comes to checking age online, these protections are seriously lacking. Historically, online age verification has involved entering a date of birth or checking an ‘Over 18’ tickbox. But these are often ineffective as it’s very easy for someone to lie about their date of birth or tick a box.

Because these methods are easily bypassed, some people think the only way to effectively check age online is with an identity document, mobile phone number or credit card. But Yoti argues that using one of these methods is not always the best option, since a child could easily ‘borrow’ their parent’s credit card or enter their mobile phone number. In addition, over 1 billion people around the world do not own or have access to an ID.

With Digital ID apps like Yoti (and EasyID in the UK), people only have to verify their identity details once. They can then use the app as proof of age, without sharing additional personal information.

Last year, the UK government certified Digital IDs for right to work, DBS and right to rent checks. The UK Cinema Association, representing the interests of the vast majority of UK cinemas, accepts the Yoti and EasyID apps as proof of age. The apps can also be used for the sale of lottery tickets, tobacco and energy drinks.

Once someone has created their Digital ID and added an identity document, they can share their verified age and nothing else. And for those without an ID, they can choose to have their age estimated within the app, using Yoti’s facial age estimation technology. This allows people around the world to receive an age estimate, such as ‘over 18’, and share this with businesses online.

“It’s quite a ‘pinch me’ moment to see that through the development of this technology, we’ve made great strides in achieving our vision to let anyone in the world prove who they are, simply by being themselves,” said Yoti CEO, Robin Tombs.