Q1: Does k-ID keep my selfie data? 

A: In the case of on-device Automatic Age Check, your face information never leaves your device. For questions about k-ID’s processes, please contact k-ID. 

 

Q2: What if the k-ID Automatic Age Check fails? 

A: After the verification attempt, you’ll see “Age Check Complete” at the top of your Active Violations screen. You can try k-ID certification again, but we may limit how many times you can use this method for appeal. At any time, you can always choose to use the photo ID verification method instead.

 

Q3: When unlocking my account with Photo ID, do I need to take multiple photos for verification?

A: No, all required information must be visible and readable in a single photo.

 

Q4: Which email should I use to submit my verification?

A: You must submit your verification photo using the email address that’s associated with your account.

 

Q5: How will my verification information be used?

A: The information you provide will be used solely for age verification purposes and will not be used for anything else.

 

Q6: As a parent, why am I being asked to give my consent?

A: We need your permission because privacy laws require parental consent for children to access online games or services that collect personal information. Your child provided your email when creating an account with one of k-ID’s partners, so we need to obtain your consent before they are able to access some or all of the content.

 

Under the laws in your child’s jurisdiction, they are restricted from accessing certain features until you give your consent or they reach a threshold age dictated by law..

 

Disabled features may include:

• Voice chat or free text chat with other players
• Purchasing items for money
• Receiving personalized recommendations
• Receiving marketing emails or push notifications

 

The email you received contains a link to a web process where you can provide consent and set up permissions for your child. You will need to confirm that you are the child’s parent or guardian and verify you are an adult as required under local law.

 

If you do not provide permission, your child may still be able to access some content, but they will not have access to the restricted features.

 

Q7: Why do you need my personal information to verify that I am an adult?

A: We need your personal information to comply with privacy laws that require us to verify that the person providing parental consent is indeed an adult. This is to ensure that only authorized adults can give permission for their child to access services that collect personal information.

 

Depending on the country your child is in, we offer several methods to verify your age and identity. The specific methods available to you are determined by law.

 

We do not save any of the personal information entered, and it is used solely for adult verification purposes.

 

Q8: Will you need to collect my personal information more than once to verify me?

A: Once you are verified as a parent or guardian, your verification is recognized across all games and services that manage parental permissions with k-ID. This means you will most likely only need to provide your verification details once. This allows you to easily manage any requests for your child to access various digital experiences and reduces the number of times you have to provide your personal information. 

 

However, you may need to verify yourself again in the following cases:

 

• The game or service does not recognize your original verification method (such as credit card)
• You or your child have moved to a different jurisdiction that requires a different verification method
• You previously requested for your email address to be deleted from k-ID’s systems

 

Q9: Do you save my personal information when you verify that I am an adult?

A: No. k-ID uses third-party data verification services and does not retain any of the sensitive information you provide during the parental verification process. This includes credit or debit card details, national ID numbers, and face scans. These details are used solely for the purpose of verifying your status as an adult, ensuring that we comply with legal requirements for protecting children online.

 

Q10: Will I be charged when I use my credit card to verify that I am an adult?

A: Your credit/debit card information will be used strictly for verification purposes. Your card information will be used to verify the card. k-ID does not receive or save the card details and you will not need to pay to verify that you are an adult. In some jurisdictions however, you may see a small charge of a few cents on your account that will be subsequently refunded in a few days – this is to make sure that the card is valid.

 

Q11: What is parental consent?

A: Parental Consent is a legal requirement that ensures a parent or guardian approves a child’s access to online services that collect personal information. This consent helps protect children’s privacy and complies with various privacy laws, including but not limited to the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) in the United States and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in the European Union.

 

When a child under the age of digital consent (typically under 13 or as defined by regional laws) creates an account or uses an online service, the service provider must obtain permission from a parent or guardian. This process involves verifying, in light of available technology, that the person giving consent is indeed an adult responsible for the child.

 

By providing Parental Consent, you allow your child to access and use specific features and services that would otherwise be restricted. This consent also allows you to manage and monitor your child’s online activities through various parental controls.

In summary, Parental Consent ensures that you are aware of and approve your child’s interaction with online services, helping to safeguard their privacy and online safety.

 

Q12: What is k-ID?

• k-ID is a free-to-use family portal designed to simplify how kids and teens access age-appropriate online experiences, while also simplifying how parents or guardians manage and engage with their children across programs and devices.
• k-ID empowers kids and teens to play, learn, and grow with age-appropriate online experiences by providing them quick access to the games they want to play and making the parental consent process easier for them and their parents to navigate. 
• For parents, k-ID is an easy-to-use platform that helps you manage your children’s online experiences. 
• Our mission is to create a safer gaming environment for children, giving parents peace of mind while their children enjoy the digital world.
• k-ID is an organization that seeks to empower kids, teens, and their parents by helping companies build age-appropriate experiences. Basically, we tell k-ID “this player is, say, a 14-year old in Kansas,” and based on that info, k-ID tells us based on local law what features must be turned off, which features need parental permission to turn on, and which features the player needs to turn on themselves. For that “parental permission” part, k-ID has a simple and streamlined flow for parents to quickly see what game their kids want to play, set their permissions, and then verify their adult status so kids can quickly get back into the game.

 

Q13: How does the k-ID parental consent process work for players and what is the experience for players and parents?

A: k-ID provides parents with a simple way to engage with their child’s online experience from start to finish. The k-ID site serves as a portal for parental consent and permission management, eliminating the tedious and potentially privacy-invasive process of providing one’s sensitive personal information to every developer your child interacts with. 

 

k-ID seamlessly and automatically delivers age-appropriate configuration for digital youth in over 200 markets worldwide. k-ID receives city-level location data from the games your child plays, typically obtained through their IP address. k-ID uses that information to guide parents and guardians and obtain their verifiable consent depending on the legal requirements of where they live. 

 

Q14: Why does k-ID ask for my credit card information?

A: k-ID uses your provided credit card information to legally confirm you are old enough to provide consent on behalf of the requesting child, in accordance with applicable laws like COPPA. k-ID partners with Stripe, one of the world’s leading payments processors, to verify the credit card information provided. Your credit card information is collected and processed by Stripe, and neither k-ID nor Stripe store this information after it is validated. 

 

For verification purposes, parents and guardians may see a charge of up to US$0.50 on their credit card. If there is a charge, the amount will be wholly refunded. Note that banks do not have to process the refund immediately, and so it may take a few days before the refund is reflected in your credit card statement.

 

Q15: Why does k-ID exist?

A: k-ID supports the makers of online games and experiences by helping them navigate complex kids’ privacy and safety regulations around the world. k-ID also exists to help kids and teens stay safe by accessing age-appropriate game experiences online while preserving their privacy. Finally, k-ID simplifies the parental approval process and makes it easier for players and their parents to control their child’s in-game experience.

 

In addition to the benefits to kids, teens and parents, 

 

Q16: Why don’t developers just do this themselves?

A: Legal requirements for online privacy and safety can vary greatly by geographic region. They are also constantly changing, making it hard for the providers of online experiences to keep up with the most up-to-date requirements worldwide. Developing a verifiable parental consent process that is easy to use and also effectively scalable is also cost-prohibitive for many companies. By helping developers navigate this complex legal landscape, k-ID allows game makers and companies to focus on what they do best: maintaining and creating fun, interactive experiences. 

 

Q17: How do we know k-ID isn’t collecting my kid’s information?

A: k-ID was founded by a team of experts in privacy and kids’ compliance, with decades of experience in the online games space.  k-ID’s mission is to keep kids safe, and the company deeply appreciates and understands the sensitivity surrounding sharing personal information online, especially with kids and teens. That’s why as a compliance vendor, k-ID makes its money through paid integrations with its games and social media customers, rather than through the collection or monetization of personal data. 

 

k-ID meets or exceeds legal standards for privacy and data protection around the world. Our data processing activities have been audited and certified by both the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) Privacy Certified Program and the UK Age Check Certification Scheme (ACCS).

 

Q18: Can I use k-ID without supplying a credit card?

A: Where we can, we offer parents and guardians multiple choices for how to complete the parental verification process in a way that adheres to legal standards. In most cases (depending on availability in their jurisdiction), parents or guardians should be able to use k-ID without providing credit card information and instead complete the verification process in a number of other ways, including manually entering their personal details, or completing an ID or face scan. 

 

Q19: How does k-ID keep info secure?

A: We take steps to ensure all information provided to us by users is treated securely and in accordance with our Privacy Policy and applicable law. 

k-ID meets or exceeds legal standards for privacy and data protection around the world. Our data processing activities have been audited and certified by both the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) Privacy Certified Program and the UK Age Check Certification Scheme (ACCS).

 

Q20: What other online services use k-ID?

A: We are already working with some of the most recognized companies in gaming today. Our founders and executive team have deep experience in privacy law and online trust and safety with leading technology companies, prominent video game publishers, and major law firms.

 

Another Axiom is one of our first integrations with several more, including recognizable global publishers/developers, to be announced.

 

Q21: How often do you have to access k-ID to let your kids play?

A: While parents and guardians can engage with their kids’ and teens’ online accounts at any time through the k-ID family portal, they are only required to use k-ID when setting up their permissions for a game for the first time.

 

Q22: Can players or parents just lie about their kid’s age to bypass k-ID?

A: k-ID is designed to map its verification requirements to match what is required under each jurisdiction’s laws. That said, at k-ID, we want to change the culture of compliance (and family dynamics) so that both kids and parents are incentivized to be truthful. By simplifying the parental consent process and giving kids access to the games they want to play in a way that is both faster and safer than what came before, we believe that this will reduce hurdles that may have indirectly encouraged kids or parents to circumvent safety regulations previously.

 

Q23: How much does k-ID cost?

A: There is no cost for parents or kids to use k-ID. k-ID’s business model is that of a traditional compliance vendor, which means it receives money directly from paid  partnerships with game developers, as opposed to by charging parents or selling data to third parties.

 

Q24: What is going on? Why are things changing?

A: We are making changes to the player experience to make our game safer and more age-appropriate for all players, and to comply with laws around the world. This means the next time you boot up the game, you’ll be asked to provide your age, which will then be used along with your general location to customize your experience.

 

Q25: Why do I have to enter my age?

A: The laws around the world are designed to protect children and teens, but not every country defines “child” and “teen” the same way. In some jurisdictions, there are even different laws and rules that apply to different age thresholds. We need to know your age so we can give you the right experience.

 

Q26: Why do I need to be honest about my age?

A: It’s important to give us an accurate age so we can customize your experience to be appropriate for you. If you lie about your age, you might find that some features have been turned off or require a parent or guardian to turn on, or you might also be exposed to content or features that are dangerous or inappropriate.

 

Q27: Why do I need my parent or guardian to get involved?

A: In some cases, the law says that a parent/guardian’s consent is needed in order to process your personal information. In the old days, parental consent used to look like consent forms with complicated legal jargon; we try to do things differently by clearly telling parents in plain language what data we collect, how we use it and who it’s shared with. We also give parents and guardians meaningful, granular control over the features their kids have access to: that way, you can still play with the features your parents/guardians are comfortable with.

 

Q28: Why does my parent or guardian have to verify themselves?

A: Under many jurisdictions’ laws, we need to make sure the person providing consent is actually the parent/guardian, and not for instance just a kid pretending to be their parent/guardian! The ways we verify parents vary based on the jurisdiction of the player requesting consent. For instance, in the US a credit card transaction is often used to verify parents, while in other international jurisdictions it’s more common to do a face or government ID scan. 

 

In any case, neither us nor k-ID stores the information parents use to identify themselves: we only store whether or not the verification was successful. Even better, when k-ID recognizes the email address associated with a parent/guardian giving consent as someone who has already been verified (even if they verified in a completely different game), in most cases they don’t have to verify again!

 

Q29: What if I am an adult but entered my age wrong?

A: In most cases, you can file an “Age appeal” request to manually change your age in our system by submitting some proof of age, such as a government ID. You can also get a parent or guardian involved to vouch that you are the age you say you are, but keep in mind that parent or guardian will still have to verify themselves too!

 

Q30: Why is my experience different from my friends in other countries or states?

A: This is because different laws have different rules. For an example, take a look at this infographic.

 

Q31: What data does k-ID collect about me and my parents, and what do they do with it?

A: k-ID only uses the information we receive from its clients to provide an age-appropriate experience.  You can read more about k-ID’s privacy practices in its Privacy Policy, but the key thing to note is that k-ID’s business model is to get paid directly from the developers who integrate k-ID’s tech into their games. k-ID does not monetize player data, and does not charge any fee to players or parents for their service. 

 

Q32: I’ve been blocked from playing the game altogether, why?

A: Platforms may have restrictions that prevent users from playing the game if they are under a certain age. If you are over the stated age and accidentally entered the wrong age, see question 29 above for instructions on how to change your age.