What is the Yoti age verification service?
Yoti is a UK-based digital identity company founded in 2014. The company’s focus is on building tools for secure online identity verification. Over time, age verification became one of its core services. Today, Yoti works with platforms across social media, gaming, e-commerce, and other industries that need to confirm a user’s age.
So what is the Yoti age verification service? In simple terms, it’s a system that allows businesses to confirm that users meet a required age threshold. Instead of collecting full personal details directly, platforms receive confirmation that someone is above or below a certain age.
Yoti offers two main models. One is document-based verification using a government-approved ID document such as a passport, driver’s license, or national ID card. The other is age estimation, which uses proprietary technology to estimate how old someone looks from a selfie. These methods allow platforms to meet legal requirements without directly handling sensitive documents themselves.
According to company statements, Yoti has completed over 1 billion age checks globally. It also says it designs its services to minimize data sharing and follow GDPR standards. The goal is to allow platforms to protect minors while limiting the amount of personal data exposed during the process.
How does Yoti age verification work?
The process of age verification on the Yoti platform usually starts the moment you try to access age-restricted content. A message appears asking you to confirm your age. Instead of asking you to manually upload documents to the platform itself, the site redirects you to Yoti’s system.
You then choose from one or more available verification methods. The options depend on what the platform has enabled — some sites offer selfie-based age estimation, others might ask you to scan an ID document, enter credit card details, or confirm via your mobile number. Once you select a method, you follow the on-screen instructions.
After you complete the check, Yoti processes the information and sends back a result to the platform. The result usually confirms whether you meet the age threshold. The platform then grants or denies access.
The vast majority of checks take seconds. Facial age estimation is fast, while more complex ID document verification may take a few minutes. If you use the Yoti app, you can store a reusable digital ID so you don’t need to repeat the process multiple times.
The process is created so that businesses never receive your full identity. Instead, they only receive confirmation such as “over 18” or “under 16.” That age-related identity attribute allows you to access a site without revealing extra sensitive information.
Yoti’s age verification methods
Yoti provides several ways to verify age. Each method works differently, and platforms can choose which ones to offer:
- Facial age estimation. You take a selfie using your device’s camera. Yoti’s system then analyzes the image to estimate your age. It doesn’t try to identify who you are. Instead, it analyzes facial features and patterns to determine whether you are likely over or under a certain age threshold.
- ID document verification. You scan a passport, driving licence, or other government-issued ID. Yoti extracts the date of birth and checks whether you meet the required age. In some cases, you may also be asked to take a selfie to confirm that the ID belongs to you.
- Digital ID app. Yoti also offers a reusable digital ID app. Users can upload their ID document once, complete a verification process, and then reuse the verified age attribute across participating platforms.
- Credit card verification. With this method, you enter your credit card details. A small temporary authorization may be placed on your card to confirm it’s valid. After verification, the hold is removed. The logic behind this option is that most credit card holders are adults, so they don’t need to additionally check for birth dates or other information.
- Mobile phone number verification. You enter your name, date of birth, and mobile number. Yoti works with mobile network providers or third-party services to check whether the details match billing payer data. In some cases, you might receive a one-time password (OTP) via SMS to confirm possession of the phone.
- Email-based age estimation. For email-based checks, Yoti may assess details associated with your email address, for example, whether it is linked to an employer and any financial transactions, to check whether the account is likely linked to an adult user.
Facial analysis vs. facial recognition: What’s the difference?
People often hear about selfie-based checks and assume they involve facial recognition. Selfie-based checks do not involve facial recognition. Facial recognition identifies a specific individual by matching their face against a stored database.
Facial analysis, however, which Yoti uses for age estimation, works differently. It analyzes facial features and patterns in the image to estimate characteristics such as age. It doesn’t try to match the image to a known identity. According to Yoti, the system treats the image as a pattern of pixels and calculates probabilities based on trained models.
This distinction matters because facial recognition has raised strong privacy concerns globally. Systems that build databases of identifiable faces can enable surveillance and online tracking. Yoti, however, states that it doesn’t create a database of faces for identification and that images used for age estimation are deleted after processing.
Where is Yoti’s age verification service used?
Yoti’s age verification services are used across multiple industries, including:
- Social media. On social media platforms like Instagram, Discord, Bluesky, and Yubo, age checks are becoming more common as regulators demand stronger protections for minors. In the European Union, the Digital Services Act (DSA) places obligations on very large online platforms to assess and mitigate risks to minors. These rules push social media companies to separate age-based communities, limit contact between adults and young users, and reduce exposure to harmful material.
- Gaming. PlayStation, Xbox, Epic Games, and Minecraft have integrated age verification tools to manage online communities. Many games include voice chat, messaging, and user-generated content, which can expose minors to risks. As a result, gaming companies use age verification tools to manage online communities, apply parental controls, and meet legal obligations related to protecting children online.
- Adult content. In several countries, websites that host adult content are now required to implement stronger age assurance systems. Some U.S. states, including Louisiana, Texas, and Arkansas, have introduced laws requiring age verification for adult websites. France has also moved toward stricter enforcement of age controls.
- E-commerce. Shopify stores selling age-restricted goods (such as alcohol or vaping products) may use Yoti so customers can prove they’re old enough to buy the products.
- Music streaming. Spotify has used age checks in some markets to comply with youth protection rules.
Regulatory changes drive much of this growth. The UK’s Online Safety Act requires platforms to take stronger measures to prevent minors from accessing harmful content. Governments argue that stricter checks help reduce risks such as grooming, exposure to harmful material, and even child identity theft. As age verification becomes more common, users may start encountering Yoti’s services more frequently across multiple types of services.
Is Yoti’s age verification service safe?
Age verification systems deal with sensitive information, including images, ID documents, and sometimes biometric data. That naturally raises concerns about the security of user data.
Safety measures Yoti implements
Yoti follows a privacy-by-design approach. That means it tries to collect and share as little data as possible. For example, when facial age estimation is used, Yoti states that the selfie image is deleted immediately after the age estimate is generated. The website or app you’re trying to access receives only an “over”/”under” result or your age in years — not your name or other personal details.
The company states it doesn’t sell information to data brokers or track users for advertising. It stores encrypted records in UK-based data centers or UK-region cloud infrastructure, complies with UK GDPR requirements, and reports that its systems are audited against standards such as ISO 27001 and SOC 2.
Privacy concerns to consider
Yoti presents its system as privacy-focused and compliant with data protection laws. Even so, age verification tools handle sensitive information like biometric data and ID documents. That naturally raises questions about how much data is collected and how it is used.
Public discussions have also examined app permissions and third-party analytics tools in identity apps. Yoti outlines its data processing practices in its privacy documentation and states that additional data processing is lawful and protected. Still, users may want to review what permissions an app requests and what information is processed beyond the core age check.
Experts also have bigger-picture concerns. When many large platforms use the same age verification provider, one company becomes part of one online ecosystem. That doesn’t necessarily mean any misuse is happening, but it does mean strong data protection and transparency are important so users understand how their data is handled.
What happens to your data when you use Yoti
What happens to your data depends on the method you use:
- Selfie verification. If you complete facial age estimation, the system captures your selfie, analyzes it, generates an age estimate, and then deletes the image. According to Yoti, the image is not stored or reused. The platform receives only the age result.
- ID verification. If you use ID document verification, the system extracts your date of birth and verifies document authenticity. According to the company, document images are deleted immediately after the check, unless a manual review is required. In manual fallback cases, images may be retained for up to 28 days and then deleted.
Verification results are typically stored for up to six months on behalf of the platform, unless deleted earlier. Reusable age tokens in the Yoti app may persist until you delete them from your device. Yoti reports that it doesn’t sell personal data and doesn’t share your full identity with platforms requesting verification.
It’s also important to remember that Yoti is only one part of the age verification process. The platform or website that asks you to verify your age has its own privacy policy and its own way of handling data. What information you share during the age check may be limited, but once you are back on the platform, its normal data practices apply. That can include information like account activity, cookies, or analytics tools.
For example, many websites use cookies and analytics tools that may allow cross-site tracking, which means activity can sometimes be linked across different websites. Some platforms also rely on device fingerprinting to recognize returning visitors. Mobile apps may use app tracking tools to understand how people use their services. These practices affect how your data is handled overall. That’s why it’s always a good idea to also check the platform’s privacy policy.
Common Yoti age verification issues
Most issues with identity verification on Yoti relate to technical factors, many of which are outside of Yoti’s control:
- Facial age estimation can fail if the lighting is poor or uneven. Shadows, a bright glare, or low-resolution cameras can reduce accuracy. Glasses, hats, or heavy makeup may also affect results. Cleaning your camera lens and using natural light can improve performance.
- Sometimes the system estimates age incorrectly. No model is perfect. If your estimated age falls close to the threshold, you may be asked to use a different method, such as ID verification.
- Document scanning errors are also common. Blurry photos, glare on plastic surfaces, or unsupported document types can cause failures. Taking the photo on a flat surface with even lighting often helps.
If one method fails, try another option if the platform allows it. In many cases, switching from selfie estimation to document verification resolves the issue quickly.
