United Kingdom: Office of Communications issued guidance on highly effective age assurance For Part 3 services

On 16 January 2025, the Office of Communications (Ofcom) issued guidance to support providers of regulated user-to-user and search services (Part 3 services) in implementing "highly effective" age assurance to comply with the Online Safety Act 2023. The guidance outlines age assurance methods, criteria for ensuring their technical accuracy and reliability, and the need for robust access controls to prevent children from accessing harmful content. It also highlights the importance of safeguarding user privacy and compliance with data protection laws while providing examples of acceptable and unacceptable age verification methods, including emerging technologies such as facial age estimation and open banking. This guidance aligns with Ofcom's broader measures to protect children online, with final Codes of Practice to follow in April 2025.