Method-level regulatory acceptance following named industry evidence
Email-based age estimation as a HEAA-capable method
Email-based age estimation is a method Ofcom added to its list of approaches capable of highly effective age assurance in January 2025. It uses information associated with an email address to estimate age, with actual compliance dependent on how the complete process is implemented.
Acceptance and implementation boundary
Ofcom's statement at paragraphs 3.85–3.87 credits the submitted evidence; final Part 5 guidance includes the method at paragraph 4.17. VerifyMy's product description combines ownership checks and digital-footprint analysis, illustrating one commercial implementation. The complete original technical submission was not obtained, so the regulator's account establishes attributed uptake rather than an independent replication of the underlying performance claims.
VerifyMy Limited → Email-based age estimation as a HEAA-capable method
supplied evidence expressly relied upon in method acceptance
16 January 2025 statement; current provider identity separately read 9 September 2026.
Ofcom paragraphs 3.85–3.87 explicitly credit AVPA and VerifyMy evidence when adding email-based estimation. This connects the named provider to a method-level decision; it does not endorse a vendor, establish performance in a particular deployment, or identify Reddit’s unnamed email supplier.
Age Verification Providers Association → Email-based age estimation as a HEAA-capable method
supplied evidence expressly relied upon in method acceptance
Evidence considered by 16 January 2025.
Ofcom expressly credits AVPA and VerifyMy evidence in adding email-based age estimation. The complete original submitted technical evidence remains not obtained; the regulator account supports attributed contribution without independently verifying performance.
Ofcom → Email-based age estimation as a HEAA-capable method
added to methods capable of highly effective age assurance
Decision of 16 January 2025.
Statement paragraphs 3.85 to 3.87 explicitly credit AVPA and VerifyMy evidence; final Part 5 paragraph 4.17 includes the method. Capability depends on effective implementation. No approval of a named vendor or purchased service is inferred.
Statement paragraphs 3.85 to 3.87 explicitly credit AVPA and VerifyMy evidence; final Part 5 paragraph 4.17 includes the method. Capability depends on effective implementation. No approval of a named vendor or purchased service is inferred.
Ofcom expressly credits AVPA and VerifyMy evidence in adding email-based age estimation. The complete original submitted technical evidence remains not obtained; the regulator account supports attributed contribution without independently verifying performance.
16 January 2025 statement; current provider identity separately read 9 September 2026.
Ofcom paragraphs 3.85–3.87 explicitly credit AVPA and VerifyMy evidence when adding email-based estimation. This connects the named provider to a method-level decision; it does not endorse a vendor, establish performance in a particular deployment, or identify Reddit’s unnamed email supplier.