Improvising Age Verification Technologies in Canada: Technical, Regulatory and Social Dynamics

TL;DR

This paper reviews the technical, regulatory, and social factors influencing the development and deployment of age verification technologies in Canada, emphasizing the need for inclusive, transparent, and privacy-preserving solutions amid rapid AI advancements.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive analysis of the socio-economic and regulatory dynamics affecting age verification tech adoption in Canada, highlighting collaborative strategies for improvement.

Findings

AI-driven biometric age verification technologies are rapidly evolving.

Regulatory and social acceptance are critical for deployment success.

Collaboration among academia, government, and industry is essential.

Abstract

Age verification, which is a mandatory legal requirement for delivering certain age-appropriate services or products, has recently been emphasized around the globe to ensure online safety for children. The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence has facilitated the recent development of some cutting-edge age-verification technologies, particularly using biometrics. However, successful deployment and mass acceptance of these technologies are significantly dependent on the corresponding socio-economic and regulatory context. This paper reviews such key dynamics for improvising age-verification technologies in Canada. It is particularly essential for such technologies to be inclusive, transparent, adaptable, privacy-preserving, and secure. Effective collaboration between academia, government, and industry entities can help to meet the growing demands for age-verification services in Canada while maintaining a user-centric approach.