Tuesday, July 29, 2025 - X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, has introduced new age assurance measures in a bid to comply with Irish, UK and EU regulations.
Under provisions of the Irish Online Safety Code that came
into force last Monday, video-sharing platforms that allow pornography must
have effective age assurance measures.
Last week, the media regulator Coimisiún na Meán said it had
not seen evidence of measures taken by X to comply with the code.
It contacted platform and asked for an explanation by last
Friday.
Coimisiún na Meán received a reply from X on Friday with
information about the measures that have been taken.
"We will assess whether these measures, and those taken
by other platforms, are sufficient to comply with the Online Safety Code as
part of our on-going supervision of platforms' compliance with the Code and the
other parts of our Online Safety Framework," Coimisiún na Meán said.
In an online help centre post, X said it is required by
regulations including the UK's Online Safety Act, the Irish Online Safety Code
and the European Union Digital Services Act, to verify age for access to
certain types of content.
The company said it will take a multi-step approach.
This will include age assurance using existing signals such
as previous age verification, legacy verified accounts, and account creation
dates.
The company said where it does not have previous signals, it
will look at things like user email addresses and social connections to
estimate age.
X said it is also planning user involved verification
options that will give account holders a choice between "two secure,
privacy-respecting options."
Users can upload a live selfie, which will be used to
estimate their age by artificial intelligence facial recognition systems.
Alternatively, users can submit a government-issued ID,
which will be used to estimate their age.
X said these measures should be made available in the coming
weeks.
"If a user is determined to be under 18, they will be
defaulted into sensitive media settings, and will not be able to access
sensitive media," X said.
"Until we are able to determine if a user is 18 or
over, they may be defaulted into sensitive media settings, and may not be able
to access sensitive media," the company added.
X said if people believe they have had their ages
incorrectly estimated as under 18, the decision can be challenged by contacting
X.
The company said when it comes to privacy and data handling,
it will be updating its use and storage information, and that third party
providers will be bound by strict data protection standards.
Asked if it had any privacy concerns about the new age
assurance measures being planned by X, the Data Protection Commission (DPC)
said that it acknowledges that age assurance plays an important role in keeping
children safe online and ensuring they do not access content that is
inappropriate for their age.
"At the same time, age assurance should be implemented
in a risk-based and proportionate manner that is compatible with an
individual's rights and freedoms," a DPC spokesperson said.
0 Comments