The Age Verification Providers Association (AVPA) is a not-for-profit trade body established in 2018, representing companies that provide age verification and age assurance technologies. Its founding purpose was to create a unified voice for the industry, which includes providers of privacy-preserving, audited, and certified solutions designed to ensure compliance with age restrictions online. The AVPA membership includes a broad range of technology firms—about 30 organizations currently—that invest in digital age verification technologies. These services are critical in safeguarding minors from accessing age-restricted digital content and services, addressing increasing regulatory requirements globally, especially in the EU and UK markets.
The AVPA’s main aims include informing and educating the public, industry stakeholders, and policymakers about the benefits and practicalities of age verification technology; representing the industry to regulators and lawmakers to promote socially responsible policy; and advancing best practices and standards within the age verification sector. The association governs itself through a member-representative board and focuses heavily on promoting transparency, privacy, and the technical integrity of age verification systems.
Since its inception, the AVPA has positioned itself as a key interlocutor between the digital identity and verification technology sector and regulatory bodies, helping navigate challenges posed by evolving data protection and consumer safety laws. It works to foster trust in technology solutions that help ensure children do not gain unsupervised access to harmful or inappropriate content online, including pornography and age-restricted e-commerce.
The AVPA is headquartered in London, England, and functions as a pivotal platform for coordination among member companies regarding standards and regulatory developments in the EU and beyond. It actively participates in meetings with governments, regulators, and other trade associations to shape emerging policies on digital identity, age assurance, and related technological innovation. The association also promotes the technical and ethical standards of age assurance, contributing to discussions on how privacy and consumer protection intersect in digital contexts.
Overall, the AVPA serves as the official European voice for the age verification industry, striving to maintain high standards that protect both businesses and consumers while supporting compliance with EU directives and UK legislation related to age verification online
