Question

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the safety and privacy risks of online age-assurance safety checks which require biometric or identity data to be submitted to online platforms via third-party providers for LGBT+ users.

Age assurance under the Online Safety Act should work effectively for all users regardless of their age or other characteristics.

Government, Ofcom and the Information Commissioner’s Office have all been clear that age assurance methods should be safe, proportionate and secure, with services obliged to minimise the use of personal data, only collecting and retaining it where necessary and proportionate for age assurance purposes. Organisations failing to comply with these requirements may be subject to regulatory enforcement action.

Ofcom’s recently published report on age assurance found that services have demonstrated a strong awareness of privacy and data protection requirements.