Recently, X (formerly Twitter) announced the launch of an age verification mechanism in response to the new Irish Online Safety Code law. The law stipulates that all video sharing platforms must implement user age verification measures, otherwise they will face a fine of up to $23 million or 10% of their annual turnover.
This is another social platform that has been forced to strengthen the protection of minors after Meta (Facebook and Instagram) and TikTok.
This article will take you through a quick guide to: X Why does he suddenly want to "check age"? What is X's age verification mechanism? What should ordinary users do?
Why does X suddenly want to check age?
It all started with Ireland's new online safety law, which requires social platforms to ensure that users under 18 are protected from special content, such as:
Recently, X (formerly Twitter) announced the launch of an age verification mechanism in response to the new Irish Online Safety Code law. The law stipulates that all video sharing platforms must implement user age verification measures, otherwise they will face a fine of up to $23 million or 10% of their annual turnover.
This is another social platform that has been forced to strengthen the protection of minors after Meta (Facebook and Instagram) and TikTok.This article will take you through a quick guide to: X Why does he suddenly want to "check age"? What is X's age verification mechanism? What should ordinary users do?
Why does X suddenly want to check age?
It all started with Ireland's new online safety law, which requires social platforms to ensure that users under 18 are protected from special content, such as:
Limit access to sensitive media (e.g. pornography, violence)
Stricter data protection
Algorithm recommendation limitations
Although this law was implemented by Ireland, X also had to comply with the regulations because it operates in the EU.
What is X's age verification mechanism?
X claims that it will use a " multi-step age confirmation method " to identify whether the user is under 18 and decide whether to restrict their access to sensitive content (such as pornographic media). The following are several verification methods officially announced by X:
First layer: internal signal recognition (now enabled)
Self-declared age: The user indicated that he or she was under 18 years old when registering;
Authenticated users: previously authenticated by X's identity authentication system;
"Old version certification" users: Blue V users before Elon Musk took over;
The account was created before 2012;
Grey label accounts: government or official institutions;
Gold Label Account: Enterprise Certified Organization (obtained through "Verified Organizations");
Problem: These methods cannot ensure that the current user of the account is the original registrant. For example, account transfer, purchase of certification, false information, etc. can be easily bypassed.
Second layer: speculative algorithms (more controversial)
Email analysis: Estimate the user's age based on email information;
Reverse the median age of your contacts: Analyze the average age of your social contacts to guess how old you are;
Problem: The accuracy rate is extremely low, it is easy to cause accidental injuries or missed judgments, and there is a lot of privacy controversy.
Future plans (not yet online)
AI selfie age estimation: upload a selfie and let AI estimate your age;
Government ID recognition: upload your ID card and AI will determine whether you are an adult;
So far, these two key features have not been opened, even though the law has officially come into effect for several days.
What should ordinary users and creators do?
Regardless of whether X's measures are ultimately "passed", as users and content creators, we should all be prepared in advance to avoid "mistaken blocking" or "misjudgment" that may affect account security, work exposure, and even income.
Ordinary users and content creators also need to make some adaptive adjustments:
Keep your account information complete: bind your email address, mobile phone number, and enable two-step verification to help avoid system misjudgment.
Be cautious when uploading sensitive information: It is recommended that you wait for official announcements before uploading selfies and ID cards, and pay attention to updates to the platform's privacy policy.
Content creators need to pay attention to the rating policy: If your content involves sensitive topics (such as violence, adult topics, political satire, etc.), you need to pay attention to whether it is "limited" or hidden by the system by default and only available to adults.
Back up important content in a timely manner: If you are subsequently asked to verify your identity or your account is temporarily blocked due to age mismatch, you can at least keep your personal works and data.
Consider cross-platform development: Content creators can consider updating simultaneously on platforms such as YouTube, Threads, and Telegram to reduce the risk of dependence on X.
Practical tips and tricks:
If "AI Selfie Age Estimation" is enabled in the future, it is recommended to select a clear selfie with natural light and no obstruction on the face to avoid triggering more verification due to recognition failure;
If uploading ID, please cover up unnecessary information and only keep the date of birth and name;
Follow X's official security channel to get first-hand notifications of policy changes.
Is X's solution reliable? What do the outside world think?
Although X emphasized that its "hierarchical judgment method" could meet regulatory requirements, it received constant criticism from the outside world:
Privacy issues: Social relationship or email prediction belongs to "fuzzy modeling" and there is a risk of leakage;
Verification standards are too broad: the gold label/grey label system can be obtained for a fee, reducing credibility;
Technology has not yet been launched: the core AI verification method has not yet been implemented, and the actual effect is unknown;
There is an obvious tendency towards perfunctory compliance: Experts say that X is more like "buying a time difference" and has not really taken legal risks seriously.
Why is X unwilling to adopt a stricter verification method?
According to analysis, there may be three reasons behind X's current strategy:
1. Musk's anti-regulatory stance: Since Musk acquired X, the platform has been pursuing a "freedom first" content policy. Age verification is seen as a threat to freedom.
2. Data privacy concerns: Unlike Meta, X has not chosen to work with a third-party identity verification agency, possibly to avoid data leakage or increase the risk of the platform's dependence on external systems.
3. Risk of user churn: Forced verification, especially uploading ID cards and selfies, is likely to cause user resistance and aggravate the downward trend of platform users.
What is the Irish Online Safety Act? Why should global platforms listen?
This week, Ireland's Online Safety Act came into force, requiring all video-sharing platforms to verify the age of their users. This regulation applies to global platforms as long as they operate in Ireland:
Platforms include: X, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, etc.
If the violation occurs, the maximum fine is $23 million or 10% of annual revenue (whichever is greater).
Regulator: Communications Regulatory Commission of Ireland (Coimisiún na Meán)
The reason why Ireland is so "lethal" is that most American Internet giants have their European headquarters in the country, and its policies are equivalent to the weather vane of the European Union.
The signal behind this wave of "age verification"
This is not just a game between X and Ireland. The European Union and many countries in the United Kingdom and the United States are promoting stricter laws to protect minors online. In the future, no global social platform will be able to escape this.
Meta has cooperated with a third-party verification company to explore double verification of face + ID
TikTok is also required in Europe to set a maximum content rating for users aged 13-17
YouTube has made it mandatory to upload ID cards to verify age in some regions
In other words, "real name + age verification" is likely to become the standard for overseas social platforms in the future.
Conclusion
X's current verification mechanism is more like a "surface action" under policy pressure, trying to delay regulatory decisions through vague strategies. However, as the EU and Ireland and other countries continue to promote "minor protection" legislation, the platform will have to deal with it head-on.
Therefore, whether you are a content creator or an ordinary user, you should understand the changes in platform rules in advance and be prepared to protect your information to avoid being mistakenly blocked, restricted, or having your privacy exposed.What do you think of X's age verification policy? Are you willing to upload a selfie or ID for verification?
