Age verification for adult content in Ireland

Since 21 July 2025, designated video-sharing platforms under Irish jurisdiction that permit pornography must use effective age assurance so children are not normally able to access it. Self-declaration alone is not effective under the Code. This page explains common methods and their privacy trade-offs without claiming that one state app is compulsory.

What changed in July 2025

Under Coimisiún na Meán's Online Safety Code, designated Video-Sharing Platform Services (VSPS) under Irish jurisdiction must use effective age assurance to prevent children from normally encountering pornographic or gratuitously violent content. Coimisiún na Meán's public guidance says penalties can reach €20 million or 6% of annual global turnover. See the Online Safety Code hub.

What "age verification" actually requires

Age assurance covers several approaches. The appropriate confidence and method depend on the content, risk and applicable requirement:

• Age estimation produces a confidence-based estimate, for example from a face image.
• Age verification checks an age or over-threshold attribute against stronger evidence.
• Age assurance is the umbrella term. A platform remains responsible for showing that its selected measures are effective for the regulated outcome.

Methods in use today (mid-2026)

Method	What you do	What the platform sees	Used by
Facial age estimation	Take a selfie in the app or browser	An estimate of your age range. The image itself is typically not retained.	X (in Ireland), many platforms as a first-pass option
Document upload	Photograph your passport or driving licence	The document image (handled by the vendor, retention varies)	Most platforms as a fallback when estimation fails
Mobile-number-linked verification	Receive an SMS / app prompt to a phone number whose account-holder is verified as over 18	Just a yes/no answer	Some PlayStation flows; carrier-led services
Payment-card check	Authorise a small refunded transaction on a card	The transaction confirms account-holder identity	Some platforms, especially for premium accounts
Digital identity attribute	Present a credential from a digital identity wallet	Just the asserted attribute (e.g. "over 18")	Planned for the EUDI Wallet rollout and the proposed MyGovID-based government app

Provider evidence for Irish buyers

Provider and deployment claims change and should not be inferred from general marketing. The editorial age-assurance directory includes only providers for which MyID has recorded current first-party Irish-market evidence, source links and a verification date. Inclusion is not an endorsement.

What the Government Digital Wallet does not yet establish

Current official wallet material describes a controlled pilot and future credential use. The Online Safety Code sets outcomes for regulated platforms, but the reviewed official sources do not establish a universal requirement for every adult to install a government wallet to access age-restricted content.

A future wallet-based proof of age could:

• assert an over-threshold attribute rather than disclose a full identity document;
• reduce repeated document collection where issuers and relying services support it;
• still require a lawful purpose, data minimisation, security and a usable alternative.

Any mandatory route should be assessed only when the responsible body publishes the exact legal basis, scope, privacy design and alternatives.

Privacy considerations

The methods above sit at very different points on a privacy curve:

• Facial age estimation can be implemented with no retention of the selfie image. Reputable vendors document this. Verify before assuming.
• Document upload implies giving the vendor a copy of a government-issued identity document. Retention policies vary substantially.
• Mobile-number-linked implies your phone-account provider knows you accessed the verification service.
• Wallet-based (EUDI Wallet, planned state app) is designed for selective disclosure — only the attribute is asserted, not the document — but the assurance level depends on the issuer trust chain.

What you can do today

• If a platform offers multiple methods, compare what each collects, retains and shares, and whether an appeal or fallback exists.
• Read the privacy notice for the exact provider and configured method. Do not assume that a general company policy describes the particular flow you are using.
• If a platform's safeguards or complaints route appear ineffective, use its complaint process and consult Coimisiún na Meán's current public guidance.

Primary sources and verification

• Coimisiún na Meán: Online Safety Code.
• Designations and Code application.
• Regulator statement on effective age assurance for pornography.
• Government Digital Wallet: questions answered.

Status checked against these primary sources on 23 August 2026.

Related explainers

• Online Safety Code hub
• MyGovID hub — Ireland's existing state digital-identity service.
• EUDI Wallet hub
• OSC criticism (forthcoming)