Is Digital Age Verification Coming Of Age?
The push to 21 has governments looking to curb underage sales
Thanks to the digital economy and its supporting technology, we can say we are in the “golden age” of this and that. The golden age of delivery and quick fulfillment. The golden age of product reviews and price comparisons.
What about the golden age of age verification?
No, that doesn’t sound as exciting as the rest, and conjures up memories of those sloppy fake IDs in high school and college, or having that ne’er-do-well uncle agree to buy minors a 12-pack. However, as more age-restricted products move online, robust and seamless digital age verification takes on more importance, a trend that promises to grow in the coming few years.
Reduce Sales To Minors
That’s the story told in a new PYMNTS interview with Jason Hardy, chief operating officer at AgeChecker.Net.
The discussion took place amid regulatory pressure from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on the sale of eCigarettes — the goal is to prevent, or at least reduce, the sale of such products to minors. It also came amid ongoing efforts to make sure underage consumers don’t gain access to more traditional nicotine and tobacco products, whether online or offline, and to raise the minimum age of sale to 21.
In the U.S., a national push is afoot to raise the minimum age throughout the country to 21 for tobacco purchases. As that happens, local and state governments are considering similar laws as a move to reduce underaged smoking. Retailers are trying to stay ahead of the curve, and are sometimes on their own raising the minimum age to 21.
All that presents challenges for retailers that want to stay on the good side of politicians, lawmakers, parents and consumer groups. That’s where technology can help.
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