If you’ve ever been blocked from accessing a website despite being well over 18, or forced to upload your ID to a faceless system with no idea who’s on the other side — you already know the problem. The systems we’re being told to trust are often rigid, automated, and ill-suited to the real world.
At Age Layer, we’re building something different — because the current approach doesn’t work for the people who actually need it to.
The dominant approach to online age checks today is a mix of:
These systems often fail the users who need nuance — and they frequently fall short on transparency and control. If your face doesn’t match a stock database template, or your ID isn’t in a format the algorithm recognises, you’re blocked. No context. No human fallback. No appeal.
It’s worse if you’re in a niche: adult platforms, fringe ecommerce, alt wellness, or anything remotely controversial. These sectors are often excluded from “mainstream” tools — flagged as high-risk, or simply shut out without explanation.
Another issue? Most systems assume you’re fine handing over your full identity — name, address, ID number — just to prove you’re an adult.
That’s a flawed assumption.
We believe age checks shouldn’t require identity disclosure. You should be able to verify your date of birth and document validity, without sharing who you are, where you live, or what your real name is.
At Age Layer, we let users redact personal data from their ID — and our reviewers are trained to approve based on only what’s required: face, date of birth, expiry date, and a valid-looking document.
A lot of providers brag about having “no humans in the loop.” We think that’s a mistake.
Automated systems can’t handle edge cases. People can.
At Age Layer, every verification is manually reviewed by a trained agent. That means:
This approach may not scale to billions overnight. But it’s the only approach that works right now — especially for high-risk industries trying to comply without alienating users.
Once a user is verified with Age Layer, they receive a reusable passcode. That code can be used across any participating platform — no re-verification, no duplicate uploads, no added friction.
It’s a simple but powerful shift. It keeps users in control and keeps platforms compliant — all without locking you into someone else’s ecosystem.
We didn’t build Age Layer for banks or big box retailers. We built it for the platforms that are always one TOS change away from being deplatformed. The ones that get flagged, blocked, or ignored.
If that’s you — we’re here for it. Let’s fix age verification together.
