Epic Games will require Australian users to verify that they are at least 18 before purchasing or downloading R18+ games on the Epic Games Store, introducing age checks supplied by Yoti, Stripe and Veriff from September 9.
The requirement applies to R18+ titles, not games with lower classifications, and does not affect games a user already owns. Epic is using its Kids Web Services, or KWS, system to manage the verification process and offer a choice of methods.
Yoti will provide facial age estimation from a selfie. Epic says the image is encrypted, is not reviewed by a person and is deleted immediately after the check. KWS does not receive the selfie.
Users can instead verify through a payment card using Stripe, which places a five-cent authorization rather than charging the card. A third option uses Veriff to check a government-issued identity document. Epic says the document photograph is encrypted and deleted immediately, and KWS does not receive the image or card details.
A fourth route, through Australia’s ConnectID digital identity exchange, is scheduled for later in September. It will allow users to confirm their age through their bank. Epic says banking information will not be shared with either KWS or ConnectID.
ConnectID already supports bank-backed age checks through an integration with Persona. In that arrangement, users authenticate through a participating bank’s app and the requesting business receives an age-threshold confirmation, rather than a name or full date of birth. Participating institutions include CommBank, NAB, ANZ Plus and Westpac.
The exchange is operated by Australian Payments Plus and is accredited under Australia’s digital ID framework. Its model allows an existing financial institution relationship to support a new verification request without requiring the customer to submit another identity document directly to the business.
Persona has also included ConnectID among digital identity integrations offered through early access, alongside national identity schemes and wallets. Those integrations give businesses additional ways to verify customers using credentials they already hold.
For the Epic Games Store, the initial choice spans facial age estimation, a card authorization and a document check, with bank-based verification joining later. The restriction is tied to access to adult-classified games in Australia.
Sources: Epic Games
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By the ID Tech Editorial Team
