Age Assurance – Screening users for age
- Privacy Law In Canada
- Oct 10, 2024
- 1 min read
Intended to increase the safety of young people online, Canada is considering laws that require processes to screen users for age-appropriateness. This can include ‘Age Estimation’ tools that analyze biometric or behavioral information.
Comments for the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada ‘Preliminary Positions’ closed September 10, 2024, following which the OPC will draft a guidance document setting out expectations for ‘privacy-protective age assurance’.
Following the standards set in Europe, there are studies that examine the relationship between privacy and age of users, and propose principles for the proper use of technology in making these determinations.
Imagine an AI bot tacking your online behaviors and estimating your age. Or proof of age, using government issued identification, before access is granted to an App or website. This as well, creates privacy concerns – ie. The information collected to determine age is ‘personal information’, and subject to Privacy laws.
There are several other considerations. Should search engines verify age in order to allow use? Meta data retention – what data, for how long, and on which terms? Perhaps Age Assurance creates the use of ‘tokens’ or unique identifiers – depending on the identifier, personal information associated with that token could create its own privacy issues.
Then there are the access issues: some Age Assurance technologies may not be available to all people; Age estimators can be inaccurate and exclude valid access.
And to come back full circle, the OPC says Age Assurance is not the only option to protect young people – there are parental controls or education and awareness campaigns.
In the result, watch for legislation coming into effect.
