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Introduction to OpenAge

OpenAge is an initiative that introduces AgeKey - a bold leap forward in age assurance with the first open standard for truly privacy-preserving, reusable age credentials for the internet. OpenAge brings together global policy & safety experts, leading platforms and providers of trusted age signals to establish a user-centric, privacy-first standard for age assurance globally.

What's OpenAge?​

OpenAge solves what has long been viewed as one of the Internet's most insurmountable challenges: how to provide trusted and frictionless age assurance at the scale of the internet in a fully privacy-preserving manner. The initiative fulfills the societal need of protecting children while preserving freedoms and privacy for all.

Key components​

OpenAge consists of three main components:

  • AgeKey Technology: Reusable digital age signals built on FIDO Alliance and W3C WebAuthn/FIDO2 specifications for Passkeys
  • OpenAge API: APIs that provide age verification across 200+ jurisdictions with automatic regulatory adaptation
  • Compliance Studio: A developer portal for managing products, API keys, and verification configurations

What's AgeKey?​

At the center of OpenAge is AgeKey, a reusable digital age signal that allows users to:

  • Verify once, reuse everywhere: Users verify their age once and store that verification as an AgeKey on their own device
  • Maintain privacy: Built on FIDO2 standards with double-blind anonymity ensuring users can't be identified or followed across services
  • Access multiple verification methods: Government-issued IDs, facial age estimation, bank-grade credentials, and more
  • Benefit from global compliance: Each age signal returns age categorization adapted to regulation in each jurisdiction

Privacy and security​

AgeKey is designed with privacy at its core:

  • Double-blind architecture: No issuer–verifier or verifier–verifier correlation
  • Site-specific passkey identifiers: Each site gets unique identifiers
  • No personal data storage: Only anonymous age signals are stored
  • FIDO2 standard compliance: Leverages industry-standard security protocols

Global reach​

OpenAge provides a universal API that's updated monthly across 200+ jurisdictions. Each age signal returns the categorization of an age adapted to regulation in each jurisdiction as either:

  • Child: Under the age threshold for the jurisdiction
  • Digital Youth: Between child and adult thresholds
  • Adult: Above the adult age threshold

Why OpenAge?​

Traditional age verification methods often compromise between privacy and safety. OpenAge demonstrates they can coexist and even reinforce each other:

  • For Users: Free, private, and optional age verification that works across multiple services
  • For Developers: Simple APIs and comprehensive tools for implementing compliant age verification
  • For Society: Protects children without creating a checkpoint society

Getting started​

This documentation guides you through:

  1. Quick start guide: Get up and running with OpenAge in minutes
  2. Age verification guide: Detailed guides for implementing age verification
  3. Compliance Studio: Managing your products and configurations
  4. API reference: Complete API documentation

Ready to start building? Begin with the Quick Start Guide.