The way people in the UK access websites with pornographic material is about to undergo a significant change.
The Online Safety Act says sites must make it harder for under-18s to see explicit material – and Pornhub and other major adult websites have confirmed they will introduce advanced age checks by 25 July.
Media regulator Ofcom estimates 14 million people watch online pornography – and concerns have been raised about the privacy and security implications of them having to undergo more robust identity checks.
Age verification companies, who are likely to be employed, say people should be reassured because firms don’t retain data, and they don’t know what a person has accessed.
“The only non-hackable database is no database at all,” says Iain Corby, of the Age Verification Providers Association. Chelsea Jarvie, a cyber security expert, says society needs to be cautious about “normalising mass identification online”.
There are a number of ways an adult website may choose to verify a user’s age, and Ofcom has recommended seven methods. A website may allow a combination of them to give people choice. Let’s look at them.
Credit card age checks
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How it works
You provide your credit card details and a payment processor checks if the card is valid.
What are the privacy issues?
Age verification firm Verifymy says when you carry out this check on its service, a two-factor authentication check and a mini transaction with no exchange of money takes place, similar to checking into a hotel.
“No personal data gets passed on to an adult platform in any way. It is simply a yes or no as to answering a question: is this individual over 18?”, said Andy Lulham, Verifymy’s chief operating officer.
The 5RightsFoundation – an online child safety charity – said credit card checks, along with the photo identification and digital identity verification methods, offered high levels of assurance especially when the data was well protected, but “carry significant privacy risks if not designed and managed appropriately”.
Digital identity services
How it works
These include digital identity wallets, which can securely store and share information which proves your age.
What are the privacy issues?
Omari Rodney is the chief product engineer for Yoti.
He told BBC News once a document such as a passport was examined and verified, all parts of it were then separated and encrypted. The only person who could decrypt it was the individual.
“We can’t see that information unless we get permission from you,” he said.
Luciditi, another verification firm, said the user could choose to share a part of their identity – that they were over the age of 18.
Ms Jarvie, however, thinks digital wallets – along with open banking – “can feel disproportionate” as a method to prove you are over 18.
Email-based age estimation
How it works
You provide your email address, and technology analyses other online services where it has been used – such as banking or utility providers – to estimate your age.
What are the privacy issues?
Verifymy are one of operators, and it told the BBC its research identified this as the method users would be most comfortable with.
Mr Lulham says the technology checks if an email has been used to interact with a range of websites such as financial institutions.
Verifymy said data could be kept for up to 28 days, but added it would often be less, would be encrypted, and no data would be shared with the website being accessed.
Facial age estimation
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How it works
You show your face via photo or video, and technology analyses it to estimate your age.
What are the privacy issues?
A verification company would typically check if it is a human, only one person, and not a picture.
Yoti use an AI model to determine a person’s age.
While facial age estimation “can be accurate”, Ms Jarvie said her research indicated many people would not be comfortable using this method.
Mobile network operator age checks
How it works
You give your permission for an age-check service to confirm whether or not your mobile phone number has age filters applied to it.
What are the privacy issues?
Yoti looks at who the bill payer is, and if it is an adult paying for a child’s phone – such as on a family plan. The mobile operator is asked to confirm the age of the person, but would not know which website they intend on accessing.
Verification company OneID has the user log into their digital ID via their phone number, with the mobile operator confirming if the person is over 18.
Verifymy said pay as you go numbers wouldn’t be compatible – users would need to have a phone contract.
Open Banking
How it works
You give permission for the age-check service to securely access information from your bank about whether you are over 18.
What are the privacy issues?
OneID uses this method if a user cannot verify they are over the age of 18 via their mobile operator.
While OneID does not see your transactions, your account number and sort code are shared with it during its one-off check – but the company says it does not keep any details.
OneID founder Rob Kotlarz accepts users may be reluctant to show their bank details so they can access an adult website.
“It is the right thing to protect children,” he told BBC News. “We are offering a simpler way of checking someone’s age. If it is simple and seamless, why wouldn’t you do it to protect the kids?”
Photo ID matching
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How it works
You upload an image of an ID document that shows your face and age, and an image of yourself at the same time. These are then compared to confirm the document is yours.
What are the privacy issues?
As well as UK documents, Yoti would allow the user to upload some from outside of the UK.
Ms Jarvie believes photo ID uploads and credit card checks “feel outdated” and “highly intrusive”.
RENO, Nev., Sept. 02, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — GreetEat Corporation (OTC: GEAT), a forward-thinking technology company dedicated to building next-generation platforms, today announced the official re-launch of its subsidiary Wall Street Stats (WallStreetStats.io) applications on both iOS and Android. The updated apps deliver a powerful suite of new tools designed to empower investors with deeper insights, smarter analytics, and a cutting-edge user experience.
The new release introduces an upgraded platform driven by artificial intelligence and machine learning, providing users with:
Detailed Quotes & Company Profiles – Comprehensive financial data with intuitive visualization.
Summarized Market Intelligence – AI-powered data aggregation and automated summarization for faster decision-making.
Sentiment Analysis via Reddit & Social Platforms – Machine learning models that detect, classify, and quantify investor sentiment in real time.
Trending Stocks, Top Gainers, Top Losers, and Most Active Lists – AI-curated market movers updated dynamically throughout the day.
Smart Watchlists – Personalized watchlists enhanced by predictive analytics and recommendation algorithms.
AI-Driven Market Predictions – Leveraging natural language processing (NLP), deep learning, and behavioral pattern recognition to uncover emerging investment opportunities.
“Wall Street Stats was designed to go beyond traditional financial data and offer an AI-first experience that empowers both retail and professional investors,” said Victor Sima, CTO of GreetEat Corporation. “With this re-launch, we’ve combined the best of real-time market intelligence with machine learning powered insights that make data more actionable, intuitive, and predictive. This is just the beginning of our vision to democratize Wall Street – level analytics for everyone.”
The platform’s enhanced features are aimed at giving investors a competitive edge by uncovering hidden patterns, predicting momentum, and providing smarter investment signals. With natural language processing, predictive modeling, and real-time data analytics, Wall Street Stats represents a new era in financial technology innovation.
About GreetEat Corporation GreetEat Corporation (OTC: GEAT) is a technology-driven platform designed to bring people together through virtual dining. Whether for business meetings, celebrations, or personal connections, GreetEat blends video conferencing with meal delivery to create meaningful, shared experiences anywhere in the world. In addition to GreetEat.com, the company also owns WallStreetStats.io, a cutting-edge fintech app that leverages AI and machine learning to analyze social sentiment, market trends, and trading signals in real time, available on both Android and iOS stores.
Forward-Looking Statements: This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are based on current expectations, estimates, and projections about the company’s business and industry, management’s beliefs, and certain assumptions made by the management. Such statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. The company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.
New grant money from Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) will help Algoma University researchers continue their work in artificial intelligence, renewable energy, and sustainable farming and biotechnology.
The Sault Ste. Marie university announced Aug. 28 it will receive $541,000 over five years toward three projects at the school.
Dr. Ping Luo is developing artificial intelligence (AI) tools to detect cancer earlier and more accurately, paving the way for faster diagnoses and more personalized care.
Dr. Syed Muhammad Danish is designing smarter, greener infrastructure for electric vehicles and renewable energy systems, while embedding sustainable practices into generative AI to support Canada’s net-zero goals.
Dr. Isabel Molina, a Tier II Canada Research Chair, is investigating how plants naturally produce protective compounds, with the potential to transform sustainable farming and biotechnology.
“From cancer research to clean energy and sustainable agriculture, world-class innovation is thriving right here in Northern Ontario,” Brett Goodwin, Algoma’s interim vice-president of academic and research, said in a news release.
“Our faculty are leading research in computer science, life sciences, and environmental innovation to tackle urgent global challenges, while creating exceptional learning opportunities for our students, including students in our recently launched graduate programs in biology and computer science.”
FLORENCE, Italy, Sept. 2, 2025/PRNewswire/ — Medical Horizons S.r.l., (medicalhorizons.it) a leading distributor of Artificial Intelligence (AI) solutions for healthcare, today announced an exclusive distribution agreement with Bowhead Health Inc.(bowheadhealth.com), a Canadian innovator in secure health data management and AI-powered clinical trial matching.
Under this agreement, Medical Horizons becomes the exclusive partner for Bowhead Health in Italy, Turkey, and Cyprus, expanding access to advanced technologies that improve clinical trial recruitment, optimize research workflows, and strengthen hospital and research institute capabilities across the region.
Addressing Healthcare’s Urgent Needs Healthcare systems worldwide face growing challenges from workforce shortages and rising clinical demands. Artificial intelligence is increasingly recognized as a critical tool to help address these pressures, enabling hospitals and researchers to deliver faster, more personalized care.
“Manual clinical trial matching is slow, burdensome, and often misses the genomic details that matter most,” said Francisco Diaz-Mitoma, CEO of Bowhead Health Inc. “Our platform allows hospitals to scan global and local trial databases instantly, helping them connect patients with the right therapies far more efficiently.”
Bowhead’s AI-driven technology reduces time spent on manual searches, simplifies workflows, and provides confidence for both researchers and patients, accelerating progress toward personalized medicine.
A Strategic Expansion for Medical Horizons For Medical Horizons, the partnership marks a continuation of its mission to bring best-in-class AI technologies to European healthcare providers.
“This collaboration represents a decisive step in our strategy to deliver practical, high-impact AI solutions,” said Guido Osti, CEO of Medical Horizons. “Bowhead Health has developed a unique platform that combines secure health data management, artificial intelligence, and clinical research. We are proud to guide their expansion in Italy, Turkey, and Cyprus.”
Bowhead Health Inc. Based in Ottawa, Canada, Bowhead Health has developed a secure digital ecosystem that integrates:
An AI-powered trial matching engine for personalized patient recruitment.
A de-identified health data platform compliant with GDPR, HIPAA, and global security standards.
Collaborative digital flows connecting patients, hospitals, researchers, and pharmaceutical companies.
Bowhead Health is currently validating its technology with leading hospitals in Canada, Europe, India, and the United States, with strong early results.
