Bird & Bird’s Age Assurance in 2026: an international guide

Every day sees the announcement of new regulations to protect children online. From outright bans, to curfews, to protection against lawful but harmful content or commercial practices, these child-focussed rules all rely on one key constraint: being able to identify children as they enter and navigate an online service.

Effective age assurance is not just a compliance challenge, but an opportunity for competitive advantage. But like every other rule governing interaction with children, there are differing views, across regulatory borders and amongst industry and academic experts, on what tools and techniques provide the best protection without unacceptable compromise of other rights, such a privacy and freedom of expression. Services are left making tough decisions on how to juggle these competing rules while maintaining user trust. We’re here to help.

To complement our existing guide to international regulation, in our Children in the Digital World Comparative Tool, we are developing a new practical resource for clients who need to navigate this complicated patchwork. With cross-border insights, our new guide will share international insights on: 

• The regulatory framework underpinning age assurance in key jurisdictions in the EU and APAC
• Managing cross-cutting regulation and rights
• The latest enforcement trends and upcoming laws
• The key assurance methods and technologies in use in 2026, and how-to guides to help your teams assess them for your business

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Register your interest here for Bird & Bird’s Age Assurance in 2026: an international guide.