The Future of Age Verification: Your Face Never Leaves Your Device

### Executive summary On-device age estimation runs age-classification models locally on a user's device using the front-facing camera to produce a binary age verification result without transmitting facial images; the report contrasts this with traditional ID uploads, summarizes regulatory pressures (UK Online Safety Act, EU DSA, various US state laws, Australia), outlines privacy and technical risks (data breaches, function creep, demographic bias) and liveness-spoofing defenses, and recommends evaluation criteria for platform teams including data minimization, liveness detection, auditability, regulatory alignment, and accessibility.