Safe protection of minors on the Internet according to EU law
The Liechtenstein start-up TantumPay is on its way to revolutionizing the protection of minors on the Internet. In coordination with the responsible authorities, a solution is published which serves to comply with the EU Audiovisual Media Services Directive (AVMSD). This has been active since October 2020 in the amending Directive 2018/1808/EU and thus forms the new legal basis for the protection of minors from harmful media in the European Union.
With the notification of 02.11.2020, the solution of Tantum AG was positively evaluated by the German Commission for the Protection of Minors in the Media (KJM) and is thus in compliance with the Interstate Treaty on the Protection of Minors in the Media (JMstV). This marks the first milestone in introducing TantumPay to the market throughout Europe. TantumPay offers a solution with which consumers can anonymously confirm their age and at the same time comply with the protection of minors on the Internet.
What is the protection of minors on the Internet all about?
The protection of minors is an everyday issue: in every bar, cinema or supermarket, proof of age is required in order to refuse or grant alcohol, tobacco or films from the age of 18.
However, the world is now largely digitalized, in which the protection of minors is often insufficiently or not at all taken into account. This applies to access to computer games that contain content that glorifies violence, as well as to online erotic content. For example, the average age of first-time users of hardcore pornography is only 12.7 years. Such online offers can usually be accessed without any restrictions.
Computer games and streaming portals do not provide satisfactory age verification either. Internet stars and influencers can be observed on streaming portals playing content that glorifies violence or wagering money in online casinos.
The times when the Internet was a legal vacuum in terms of youth protection are now definitely over in Europe. The entry into force of the amendments to the EU AVMS Directive creates uniform rules and closes existing legal loopholes. In parallel, TantumPay is launching an innovative technical solution that ensures the protection of minors conveniently, securely, cheaply and at a high scale.
Previously, age verification was possible by means of video identification or PostIdent. However, these processes are rather lengthy for users, inconvenient and require disclosure of personal data. Moreover, even this age verification does not ensure more difficult disclosure to third parties, since once an account is age-verified, it can be easily passed on to the underage friend or shared on Internet forums.
This is precisely the problem that TantumPay is countering with the TantumPay app. A groundbreaking solution that allows consumers to anonymously confirm their age, applicable to ensure and guarantee the protection of minors on the Internet.
The solution with artificial intelligence
By leveraging AI (artificial intelligence), identification with TantumPay is performed without a face-to-face contact/video call using selfie video. The authenticity of the ID document is verified, the data it contains is captured, and the biometric data from the selfie video is matched with the image on the ID document. For this, TantumPay is working with Zurich-based scaleup PXL Vision, the Swiss market leader for secure, fully automated identity verification based on artificial intelligence.
This makes identification not only user-friendly, but even much more secure and faster than traditional identity verification. At the same time, pairing the device with the corresponding cell phone makes it more difficult to pass on to third parties. Thanks to this innovative technical solution, a KJM-compliant and thus EU-compliant identity check can be carried out in just a few seconds.
After the successful, one-time identity verification, the user has deposited his own anonymous ID in the TantumPay app. Users can confirm their age simply by scanning a QR code. No user data is passed on in this process. “We offer our customers the possibility to access online platforms while protecting their identity. Our customers thus remain completely anonymous,” explains Dominik Hurum, CEO of TantumPay.
In a further step, it will also be possible for TantumPay app users to make payments anonymously and securely.
Summary
The combination of innovative technology and data protection in a dialog with legislators and the industry has resulted in a new solution that implements the desirable development of youth protection in an exemplary manner. At the same time, low-cost multi-million scaling becomes possible, with data security and user anonymity as the top priority.
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