ComplyAge
A weathered inspection stamp on a steel desk.

Privacy-first age verification

Facial age estimation

The fastest way to prove you are an adult: a live selfie, no documents.

Facial age estimation takes a live selfie in the verification window, checks that it is a real, present face (liveness), and estimates the person's age. If the estimate clears the region's minimum age with a safety margin, the check passes. No ID is uploaded and the selfie is not kept; ComplyAge stores a protected face anchor so the same person can be recognised on a later check.

How it works

Face detection and the liveness prompts run in the browser with an on-device model, so nothing leaves the visitor's device until a usable frame exists. That frame is sent over TLS to the age-estimation engine, which returns an estimated age. The verification window shows the result immediately; a pass is recorded as a reusable verification, a near-miss is offered another method.

What is stored

The image is discarded after the estimate. What remains is a face anchor — a protected vector derived from the face that cannot be reversed into a picture — used only to match the same person on a future check. No name, no document and no account details are required to run the method.

Where it counts

Facial age estimation is accepted in flex enforcement zones: most US states with age-verification statutes, the United Kingdom, France and Australia. Strict zones such as Texas and Louisiana require government ID or a payment card instead, and the Age Gate only offers methods the zone accepts.

Accuracy and buffers

Age estimation is probabilistic. Regulators treat it as highly effective only when a challenge buffer sits above the legal minimum — Ofcom's guidance for the UK Online Safety Act is the clearest example. ComplyAge applies a buffer above the minimum age; visitors who estimate close to the threshold are routed to a document or card check rather than rejected outright.

What the visitor sees

  1. Allow the camera

    The verification window asks for camera access. On a desktop without a camera the visitor can scan a QR code and finish on their phone.

  2. Centre your face

    On-device detection guides the visitor into frame and runs a liveness prompt to rule out photos and screens.

  3. Get the result

    The estimate comes back in seconds. A pass is stored as a reusable verification; a near-miss offers government ID or a payment card instead.

Frequently asked questions

Is my photo kept?
No. The frame is discarded after estimation. Only a protected face anchor is retained, and it cannot be turned back into an image.
What if I look younger than I am?
You are offered another method — government ID or a payment card — rather than being turned away. The buffer above the minimum age exists precisely so adults near the threshold are not wrongly refused.
Does it work with glasses, beards or low light?
Usually. Detection guides the visitor into good framing and lighting; if a usable frame cannot be captured, the window falls back to another method.
Is facial age estimation accepted in Texas?
No. Texas HB 1181 and Louisiana Act 440 are strict zones in ComplyAge's catalogue: only government ID or a payment card is offered there.