UK Online Safety Regulations and impact on Forums

I posted a suggestion for Age Verification here:
Alpha1

Thread 'Age Verification on registration'

The current age restriction for XenForo is outdated and does not work. We need a reliable Age Verification system.
My suggestion is to implement integration with one or more Age Verification services

The EU writes about the current method:
Self-declaration: this most common of all methods has been shown to be easily bypassed by children. Examples include self-declaring one's date of birth. (see attached file for reference)
This is why I posted this related suggestion in the past: https://xenforo.com/community/threads/improve-minimum-age-function.87298/

New legislation in the...
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If this is something that you need or want then vote on it. If you would prefer a Age Verification service that I did not mention there, then please post it in that suggestion thread.
 
Alpha1 said:
Would these two things mostly resolve it for other people as well?
  1. Affordable Age checking.
  2. Automatic triage of new content that will stop illegal content and rule breaches.
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I'm sure a solid implementation would satisfy two of the main requirements, a third perhaps being a template for carrying out the initial risk assessment. A lot of site owners attempting to create one based on OFCOM's guidance understandably give up long before they start to produce anything meaningful and it is the starting point for what may come after.

JamesBrown said:
Option 1 is a barrier to registration we don't need.
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I entirely agree, it is a major barrier to registration and detrimental to the health of any forum but surely whether we need it or not is down to content and the result of a site's risk assessment?

I can't say this with any authority but most of the sites where I've carried out a risk assessment in parallel with other staff members are family friendly but still appear to require age verification for various reasons. I think the automatic triage of new content could well dispense with the need to age check on many forums.
 
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zappaDPJ said:
I'm sure a solid implementation would satisfy two of the main requirements, a third perhaps being a template for carrying out the initial risk assessment. A lot of site owners attempting to create one based on OFCOM's guidance understandably give up long before they start to produce anything meaningful and it is the starting point for what may come after.


I entirely agree, it is a major barrier to registration and detrimental to the health of any forum but surely whether we need it or not is down to content and the result of a site's risk assessment?

I can't say this any authority but most of the sites where I've carried out a risk assessment in parallel with other staff members are family friendly but still appear to require age verification for various reasons. I think the automatic triage of new content could well dispense with the need to age check on many forums.
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"a third perhaps being a template for carrying out the initial risk assessment. A lot of site owners attempting to create one based on OFCOM's guidance understandably give up long before they start to produce anything meaningful and it is the starting point for what may come after."

I had started using Ofcom's downloadable pdf for that. It seemed to perform both record keeping and risk assessment. Although it was unclear if you needed a more written explanation type document as well as regards assessing the risks and how you've mitigated them. It was clear you needed to provide evidence of mitigation if asked for it and describe what that was on the pdf.
 
rogerl said:
That is partly what this addon is trying to acheive
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I almost forgot about that Addon by @AddonsLab . Thanks for reminding me. I actually used the xf1.5 version of Perspective API years ago, but as it was before the dawn of LLMs, it did not produce useful results. Now, it seems much more interesting and I may try it. However, it only supports the following forms of illegal content and rule breaches and not all the illegal content the OSA requires:

Perspective | Developers

support.perspectiveapi.com support.perspectiveapi.com
It also doesn't scan conversations, which is the main use case for AI content triage.
 
Ozzy47 said:
I have released two addons to help admins ensure that their conversation/direct message system isn't being used for illegal or nefarious actions without their knowledge.


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I've released an update (to conversation monitor) that now scans all existing conversations (if you choose to) for keywords and adds them to the log.
 
BTW, I did come across a an online forum that implemented this system in order to stay within the OSA:
verifymy.io

Social Media

Social media enhances connectivity but raises safety concerns for minors. Verifymy provides age verification and content moderation for user protection.
verifymy.io verifymy.io
AFAIK no XenForo plugin exists. But it cannot hurt to ask. They do have an API.
I have no idea if the costs are reasonable or not.
 
Do you mean their moderation services? Because we've mulled over their age verification services and costs several times in this thread and indeed they are the service I'm using. I've not looked at the moderation service and how that works or indeed what it costs.
 
It is tailored to moderation of video and images rather than text. Although that might still be useful of course. The API integration docs are here: https://docs.verifymyage.com/docs/content/moderation/ I can't obviously see pricing.

I'd not quite decided how I was going to process any automated moderation of content yet, beyond thinking I'd perhaps consider one of the AI image description engines to help weed out anything too risqué and plonk it into moderation or at least generate a report for it.
 
Thanks for that Information! Their content moderation applies to images, video and live streams, but no text.

They advertise content moderation for regulatory compliance and the OSA. Which would require text moderation. So I assumed so.
 
I think one of the key services highlighted in the OSA are video sharing platforms - so I guess maybe it's aimed at those?
 
chillibear said:
Do you mean their moderation services? Because we've mulled over their age verification services and costs several times in this thread and indeed they are the service I'm using. I've not looked at the moderation service and how that works or indeed what it costs.
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Did you say you're actually using that one Chillibear? Was that the one that ended up costing x pence per sign up?
 
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I just asked Chat GPT which was the cheapest option

Which is the cheapest age verification option/company in the Uk please, for Ofcom specified age verification on a website

ChatGPT said:​

AgeVerifyUK
Offers an age verification API that matches customers against 120 million UK addresses. They charge per verification, with prices starting at £30 for a package. AgeVerifyUK

Luciditi
Provides age estimation and verification services using facial recognition technology. They offer a free sign-up, and their services are integrated into the checkout process, aiming for a seamless user experience. Luciditi+1

ukphonebook.com
Utilizes data from public sources like the UK Electoral Roll to verify ages. Each age check costs 10 credits, with 40 credits priced at £10. www.ukphonebook.com

AgeGO
Provides anonymous, secure, and free age verification services, granting access to numerous age-restricted websites.

OneID®
Offers a digital identity and age verification service, enabling customers to confirm their age and identity quickly. They provide integration options for various platforms, including Shopify and WooCommerce. OneID

It's advisable to assess each provider's features, pricing, and compliance with Ofcom's regulations to determine the most suitable and cost-effective solution for your website.
 
I quite like the idea of the phonebook one. Only adults are on the electoral register (but not everyone is on the electoral register).

Agego seems to be for users as well as providers. Users register with agego and can then use it to verify themselves on numerous websites (if I've understood that right?)

OneID says from 16p a check.

I'm coming to the conclusion that it could be necessary to charge a registration fee to join up (as mentioned earlier). But at 16p a check then a one off registration charge of £1 isn't too bad. With a message saying this is a one off fee to cover age verification.
 
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"AgeGO is an officially approved age verification solution by the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC). It is used by websites that feature content or products that are only available to a +18 year old audience, in order to verify that a users age is +18. Once the user is verified using AgeGOs technology, the user can then enter the website and view the site’s content. This is required by UK law due to the introduction of the Digital Economy Act.

"AgeGO is a self-service platform and you can implement our age verification in three simple steps:

  • Create your AgeGO business account

  • Configure your site(s) in your AgeGO dashboard

  • Deploy the AgeGO script from your dashboard
Now you are totally compliant with the UK law."

"

Do I have to pay to verify my users with AgeGO?​


Yes, please contact us to get more information about it."

www.agego.com

AgeGO for Businesses

What are the advantages of using AgeGO for B2Bs? Quick and easy integration, great reach just to name a few things.
www.agego.com www.agego.com

Slight issue
It seems to be based in Barcelona Spain - maybe that's ok but seems strange for Uk verification.

Another slight issue: Their own captcha on their contact page isn't working/shows an error.

Contact Info​

Carrer Marina 16, 08005, Barcelona – Spain

Email: info@agego.com
 
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Of course Chat GPT isn't that reliable either.

Me: Is Agego a legitimate website/company?

Yes, AgeGO is a legitimate company that provides age verification solutions, primarily targeting online businesses to ensure compliance with age-restricted content regulations. Established in 2018 and based in Dublin, Ireland, AgeGO offers services to help websites verify users' ages securely and anonymously. XBIZApollo+1AgeGO+1


In May 2021, AgeGO was honored with the "Best Age Verification Technology Solutions (Western
Europe)" award by the Irish Enterprise Awards, highlighting their commitment to excellence in this field. AgeGO


Their age verification methods are free for end users, secure, and fully GDPR compliant, ensuring that personal information is not stored during the verification process. AgeGO+1XBIZ+1


Additionally, AgeGO is officially approved by the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC), demonstrating their adherence to UK regulations concerning age verification for online content. AgeGO


Given these credentials and recognitions, AgeGO is considered a reputable and trustworthy provider of age verification services.

Me: Their website says they are in Barcelona, Spain

You're right! I apologize for the confusion. AgeGO is based in Barcelona, Spain, not Dublin, Ireland. Thanks for pointing that out!

AgeGO provides age verification services and focuses on ensuring secure, anonymous verification for websites, especially those with age-restricted content. They are GDPR-compliant, which is essential for businesses operating in the EU, and offer their services free to end users.
The fact that they are located in Barcelona still aligns with their credibility, especially considering their European-based operation and compliance with regulations like GDPR.
 
Anyway I've messaged Agego, Luciditi and One ID

Edit: OneID seems to use bank account age verification which isn't enough for Ofcom (kids can have bank accounts). IMO
 
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Alvin63 said:
OneID seems to use bank account age verification which isn't enough for Ofcom (kids can have bank accounts). IMO
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I would assume any banking check is a check with the issuing bank and they will presumably have ID checked the person opening the account - so the bank are in a position to tell them if you are over 18?

Alvin63 said:
I quite like the idea of the phonebook one. Only adults are on the electoral register (but not everyone is on the electoral register).
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As long as they have a global one you're good I guess. I suspect the first stage check my supplier (VerifyMyAge) are using. I don't know how well their solution will work for a global audience yet.

Alvin63 said:
Did you say you're actually using that one Chillibear? Was that the one that ended up costing x pence per sign up?
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Yes. 80p per check (noting that since paypal has fees what I have to charge is higher to break even). So far the lowest fees I've found from asking companies are about 25p and the highest about £1.25. However so far it's only VeryifyMyAge and Stripe who I've found that seem to offer a pay as you go model. Also worth noting that that the contract with VeryifyMyAge requires them to be the sole Age-Verification supplier. So whilst I've started looking at Stripe just to see what it's like (thinking maybe more people will know them and maybe trust them?) I'd not be able to use both - it is also the more expensive option (£1.25)

My implementation It's all sitting ready, but I'm not yet forcing anyone to use it just yet for two reasons - firstly just waiting on VerifyMyAge to get to the bottom of the email notifications issue (they always seem to send out an email and I'm not sure if I want that - since the email template at present can't be edited and it's very product purchase orientated) and second I'm working out the neatest way to "grandfather" in some of our existing userbase (it's a tiny site and a lot of the users know others in person, and are well over 18). How good VerifyMyAge will be long term I don't know. I think all age-verification services will be a barrier to membership full stop and I'm not sure exactly how much difference it will really make.

Alvin63 said:
Anyway I've messaged Agego, Luciditi and One ID
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Appreciated. Interesting looking at AgeGo - I'd not even come across the Digital Economy Act (2017) - given that apparently required porn sites to have age verification in place back then I think we can see how heavily things like this are really policed. Although to be fair maybe a "over 18 checkbox" was enough - I've not read the act.

The only clue about pricing for Lucidti was this:
Luciditi Age Assurance for WordPress Pricing is straight forward and does not require an annual API Integration License unlike our SDK. We offer a annual subscription based on anticipated usage billed monthly or quarterly along with any overages from the previous period.

The cost of an ‘age estimation’ check is low whereas ‘age verification’ is a more expensive (mainly due to the document verification anti-fraud counter measures or transactional cost of Mobile Network Operator Lookups required to make it safe). In broad terms, the prices per transaction reduces as volumes increase.
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So presumably it's not a PAYG model? I see the WP plugin is available so might glance at the code.

As an aside I was thinking this morning were Ofcom really serious about this from the POV of actually making a difference they would have contacted the companies/groups that make forum software. It was obvious from day one that forums would be under the rules. There are a handful of more serious competing products in the market (think Xenforo, vBul, phpBB, etc, etc). Why not start up a dialog with XF Ltd (etc) and figure out what areas are likely to be needed and then help to fill/fix those areas ahead of the legislation.
 
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