IAB/W3C Workshop Update: Age-Based Restrictions on Content Access

Tara Whalen

TPAC 2025
Kobe, Japan & online
10–14 November 2025

Workshop motivation

Many jurisdictions have enacted (or are currently enacting) regulations on age-based restrictions to online content
These regulations and their requirements can have significant effects on
- technical architectures
- end users
Domain is complicated, full of misunderstandings, and moving fast

What can we—in technical standards—do to help this situation?

Workshop goals

The Internet Architecture Board (IAB) and W3C convened a workshop to examine the technical and architectural implications of different approaches to implementing age-based restrictions on access to online content.

This workshop sought to perform a thorough examination of the technical and architectural choices that are involved in solutions for age-based restrictions on access to content. We did not expect to identify a single candidate solution, even if that might be an ideal outcome. The goal was to build a shared understanding of the properties of various proposed approaches.

paraphrased from Call for Participation

Workshop agenda

Introduction, framing discussion

Guiding Principles: human rights; Internet and web architecture

example: W3C’s Ethical Web Principles + Privacy Principles

Potential Impacts

Where Enforcement Happens

Available Techniques

Age verification: server-side solutions (e.g., government identity systems, zero-knowledge proofs)

Age estimation, inference (e.g., biometrics)

In-network

On-device

Interactive discussion

Fast facts

2.5 days, 7-9 October 2025, London UK
36 attendees (three remote), plus TAG and IAB observers (3)
Representation from industry, government, civil society, academia
Nine presentations
28 papers accepted

https://datatracker.ietf.org/group/agews/materials/

Chatham House Rule (modified)

Observations

Coordination among different groups—technical, policy, industry, etc.—has been difficult

Participants eager for further discussion and collaboration

valuable to involve people with various types of expertise and different perspectives

Solving the challenges of child safety online involves much more than technical aspects

Further observations

Items participants highlighted as important / helpful / necessary:

The discussion of “roles” in enforcement

Clear architectural diagrams

analyze core components of various approaches and their implications

Learning about limitations of (emerging) technologies

User research: important to hear from end users

Need for a shared vocabulary

Next Steps

Workshop report being written

Strengthening relationships with policymakers

W3C Policy Engagement Initiative has started

Finding the right venue to continue this collaboration

Immediate next step: breakout right after this session!

Age-Based Restrictions Have Come for the Web (14:45–15:45, Floor 4 - 402)