ESRB asks FTC to approve facial estimation age checker
The proposal claims the technology is more reliable than other methods of parent verification
Sign up for the GI Daily here to get the biggest news straight to your inbox
The ESRB has proposed that the FTC greenlight facial age estimation technology as a method of verification.
In collaboration with digital identity firm Yoti, Epic Games subsidiary and software company SuperAwesome, the proposal claims that the Privacy-Protective Facial Age Estimation is said to accurately determine a person's age.
The process steps of verification include:
- The user takes a photo of themselves
- The system then checks if there's a live human face in the frame
- The image is then uploaded to Yoti's backend server for estimation
Regarding safety concerns for those who use the technology, including minors, the proposal said, "Images are immediately, permanently deleted, and not used by Yoti for training purposes."
Additionally, the document claims that the facial age estimation does not presential a substantial risk to parents' privacy or potential biases.
The proposal also said, "To the extent that there is any risk, it is easily outweighed by the benefits to consumers and businesses of using this [Facial Age Estimation] method."