Concordium Joins the Age Verification Providers Association to Set a Privacy-Preserving Standard

A step toward safer, compliant-ready access for sectors facing new age-gating rules.

Age verification has become a legal requirement, not a courtesy. New laws in the UK, EU, and across the U.S. mandate that platforms hosting age-restricted content, payments, or services must confirm their users age or face penalties. But traditional verification methods create a worse problem: they force platforms to collect and store driver's licenses, passports, and birth certificates. When those databases breach, the liability lands squarely on the business.

The Age Verification Providers Association (AVPA) exists to solve exactly this problem. As the global trade body for privacy-protecting age verification, the AVPA defines technical standards that let platforms verify age without collecting identity documents. Concordium joined the AVPA to bring zero-knowledge proof technology into these standards — making it possible to confirm age eligibility without ever seeing a name, address, or government ID. 

This aligns Concordium's identity layer with AVPA compliance frameworks and positions it as infrastructure for platforms that need alignment without data liability.

A Regulatory Tipping Point

The AVPA calls this a "tipping point" — the moment when age verification shifts from optional to mandatory across major markets. The Digital Services Act, the UK Online Safety Act, and laws in many U.S. states now require platforms with age restrictions to prove compliance or face enforcement. The mandate is clear: verify age, protect minors, document the process. However, traditional verification methods aren’t as privacy-preserving as they should be.

They collect full identity documents when all that's legally required is a yes-or-no answer to "is this user old enough?" Every additional data point collected becomes a liability: storage costs, breach risk, GDPR exposure, and the reputational damage that follows if that database leaks.

Concordium's identity layer solves this problem with zero-knowledge proofs, cryptographic attestations that answer "is this user over 18?" without transmitting any identity data. The platform receives a cryptographically signed yes-or-no response and nothing else. 

Compliance becomes simpler as platforms can meet age verification mandates without triggering GDPR's data minimization requirements or building the infrastructure to protect sensitive records. For users, verification happens in seconds during signup or checkout, with no document uploads and no wondering which companies now hold copies of their passport.

Built for Newly-Regulated Markets

AVPA membership gives Concordium's partners compliance frameworks that work across jurisdictions. Gaming platforms, ticketing services, alcohol delivery, and age-gated e-commerce all face the same mandate: verify age or risk enforcement. Concordium's zero-knowledge approach, backed by AVPA standards, lets them meet requirements without storing government IDs or accepting data breach liability.

For enterprises, AVPA membership functions as assurance. Procurement teams verify alignment with recognized standards before approving vendors. AVPA certification removes that objection and positions Concordium as infrastructure for real-world payments and access control.

Age Verification Laws Are Accelerating

The AVPA calls what's coming a "tsunami of new legislation." Laws active in the UK, EU, and many U.S. states are just the start — Australia, Canada, and additional states have bills under review. As enforcement begins, platforms will need solutions that pass regulatory scrutiny immediately.

Concordium joined now to shape those standards. Early membership means input on technical specifications, advance access to regulatory updates, and relationships with compliance officers who approve vendor lists. It also establishes Concordium beyond crypto-native use cases — age verification is required infrastructure for any platform with age gating.

Privacy-First Verification as Default Infrastructure

This AVPA membership positions Concordium as a leader and contributor of privacy-preserving age verification aiming to meet emerging legal standards. Zero-knowledge proofs eliminate identity data collection. Standards-based compliance reduces liability and simplifies audits. As mandatory age checks expand across mainstream services, Concordium's identity layer provides infrastructure to platforms that can comply without compromise.

Learn more about ID Verification on Concordium

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