X (formerly Twitter) is rolling out a new AI-powered age verification process to meet the requirements of the U.K.’s Online Safety Act. Rather than partnering with third-party verification providers like Meta has, X will lean on its own xAI tools, specifically Grok, to estimate user ages through in-app selfies.
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The Online Safety Act, now law in the U.K., requires all social media platforms and search engines to implement age-checking measures that prevent children from accessing harmful or inappropriate content. Though X initially opposed the legislation on the grounds of free speech infringement, the company is now taking steps to meet the legal requirements head-on.
The first wave of age assurance measures includes cross-checking user information, such as date of birth and Premium subscription status. But the most notable addition is facial age estimation powered by AI. Users will soon be prompted to upload a live selfie, which Grok will analyze to estimate age, all without the need for third-party services.
X has also announced plans to offer an ID verification option, where users can upload government-issued identification to support age confirmation. However, the current focus seems to be on streamlining the in-app selfie option, likely as a faster, frictionless way to comply while keeping users on-platform.
Whether or not Grok can match the accuracy and compliance levels of third-party providers remains to be seen, but X is confident in its in-house capabilities. And with more countries considering similar online safety laws, this experiment may become the global standard for X’s approach to age-gating content.
It’s a bold bet: betting on proprietary AI, staying independent, and trying to outmaneuver regulatory pressure. all while walking the fine line between user privacy and safety.