Many think that the UK’s Digital Economy Act only applies to pornography websites, but in fact, it also extends to any commercial digital platform that contains 18-and-older (18+) content targeting the UK.
One online business area that will be so affected is dating. According to Nomura Instinet, this market is estimated to be worth $12 billion with 310 million people actively using at least one dating platform by 2020. Revenues are driven by subscription models and subscription or freemium models supported by digital advertising.
As technology has evolved, so have the dating platforms, using ever more sophisticated algorithms to help people match with potential partners and geo-location to find partners nearby. The market is already crowded with user growth seen in niche dating products.
The dating market can be broken down into three categories:
Dating Apps
These are native applications and are subject to Google and Apple rules which state that no naked content can be shown in user profiles; therefore, apps are not subject to having age verification technology. A simple date of birth verification is all that is required without requiring any form of proven age identification.
Romance dating websites
Marketed as dating platforms that help users find true love, these websites do not allow users to show nude content in their profiles. Many dating websites also have iOS and Android apps, giving users two ways to access the platform, and again, a simple date of birth verification is all that is required.
Adult dating websites
These are marketed as casual dating websites for sexual encounters. These websites do contain naked images and X-rated profile texts, and therefore contain 18+ content and will be subject to age verification as demanded by the UK’s Digital Economy Act. Advertisers and affiliates promoting offers to these websites will also have to ensure that their offer landing pages incorporate age verification technology.
The solution
Those who run adult dating websites with UK users or are an advertiser/affiliate targeting UK users to purchase adult dating products will want to consider AgeGO as their age verification solution. For users, some verification services charge a fee. AgeGO is free, quick and totally anonymous. For businesses, AgeGO is simple to implement on AgeGO's self-service platform, businesses can brand the age verification widget to personalize it, and AgeGO will take care of the whole verification process so businesspeople can get on with running their business. Those interested may visit AgeGO's Business section for more information.
