Age Assurance Technology Trial

Age Assurance Technology Trial

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Needemand

VENDOR CASE STUDY
  • Found in Part A: Main ReportPart D: Age Estimation

Needemand’s BorderAge solution offers a compelling example of a non-facial, privacy-preserving age estimation modality. Unlike most Trial participants, Needemand does not rely on facial analysis, voice or any biometric traits traditionally associated with identity. Instead, it uses hand gesture dynamics, captured via a device’s camera, to whether a user is likely an adult or a child.

Strengths

Fast and lightweight, Needemand’s system is ideal for constrained devices or physical environments like kiosks or mobile retail setups.
Enables inclusive access by avoiding biases linked to facial recognition; useful in contexts where users decline image-based processing.

Summary of Results

Needemand’s gesture-based system proved lightweight, privacy-preserving and effective for simple age gates. It offers an innovative alternative to facial AI, suitable for specific contexts with low biometric tolerance.

  1. Uses hand geometry only, with no facial or identifying data required.
  2. Preferred by many users during mystery shopping for its noninvasive, document-free approach.
  3. Demonstrated strong underage detection in controlled school trials, with low false positives for users below Age Gate 18.

Privacy Policy

In addition to the structured Practice Statements, the Trial also reviewed publicly available Privacy Policies for all participating providers. This formed a key part of the Trial’s ethical due diligence and helped assess how well declared practices aligned with actual documentation and observed system behaviour.

Practice Statement

Practice Statements are formal documents submitted by participating providers, outlining how their systems function and how they claim to meet specific expectations under international and domestic standards. They offer providers an opportunity to articulate their system’s design in their own words — similar to a ‘statement of practice’ or ‘system disclosure’ used in certification and compliance contexts.
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Interview

As part of the Trial’s commitment to transparency and accuracy, the team prepared a written summary of each vendor interview, capturing key points regarding system design, functionality and implementation claims. These summaries were shared with participants for review, allowing them to check, verify and suggest corrections where necessary.
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Test Report

Individual Vendor Test Reports were developed for each participating provider. These reports formally document the results of the functional, usability and security evaluations carried out during the Trial and are intended to support public understanding, regulatory scrutiny and future conformity assessment or certification processes.
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 Age Assurance Technology Trial
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