ConnectID & k-ID partner to boost child safety on gaming sites
ConnectID and k-ID have announced a partnership aimed at enhancing online safety for children using gaming platforms in Australia by introducing privacy-focused age verification and parental controls.
Australian children are spending an average of over two hours each day on platforms such as Roblox and Minecraft, with nearly one in three young gamers reporting experiences of bullying or abuse. As the focus intensifies on age-appropriate online environments, particularly given recent developments such as the under-16 social media ban, the importance of robust age assurance tools is increasing.
Meeting regulatory demands
The eSafety Commissioner has maintained a focus on the need for standardised and improved safety practices among online platforms. There is an expectation, as stated by the Commissioner, that "it will be required to implement appropriate age assurance technologies to prevent children from accessing harmful material." This aligns with ongoing government efforts to enhance digital safety for children in all online environments.
In response, ConnectID and k-ID will provide measures for age verification that protect privacy, allowing platforms and developers to verify a user's age and tailor services accordingly. Trusted adults will be able to verify the ages of children under 16, triggering adjustments such as limitations on open chat for younger users or restricting direct communication between different age groups. Platforms can thereby ensure stricter compliance with legal requirements on child safety and restrict access to content, for example by ensuring R18+ games are accessible only to those of appropriate age.
Industry perspectives
"Most parents want peace of mind that their kids are safe online," said Andrew Black, Managing Director of ConnectID. "By facilitating age-appropriate experiences, we are helping protect young users while still giving them the opportunity to explore, play and connect in spaces designed with them in mind."
"Partnering with ConnectID means we can help Australian platforms offer safer environments for younger players through real-time age verification," said Kieran Donovan, CEO and Co-Founder of k-ID. "Our mission is to empower kids, not limit them. We want digital spaces to evolve with young people in ways that are responsible, privacy-focused and easy for platforms to get it right."
k-ID currently provides compliance support for online services and is already integrated with several prominent global developers and platforms including Discord, Quora, and Another Axiom. Operating in over 150 countries, k-ID collaborates with local digital identity providers to ensure secure and privacy-preserving age verification processes are in place internationally.
ConnectID, developed by Australian Payments Plus, enables identity and age verification using information from established Australian institutions such as the major banks. The system does not store or view personal data but instead passes a secure age signal - such as whether a user is above or below a certain age - with explicit user consent. This system allows k-ID to apply relevant online safety settings and parental controls on supported platforms.
Technological implementation
Through this partnership, the two organisations provide gaming and online platforms with a scalable method that seeks to preserve user privacy while ensuring compliance with local and national regulations. It also gives both parents and children access to digital environments that are adjusted to their individual circumstances and ages.
The Australian Government's recent Age Assurance Technology Trial Report evaluated both ConnectID and k-ID, assessing them at the highest level of technology readiness (TRL 9). This result indicates that both technology solutions are adequately prepared for wide deployment in Australia. They may therefore play a role in supporting the implementation of the upcoming under-16 social media ban expected to take effect in December 2025.
The collaboration between ConnectID and k-ID is set against a backdrop of increased attention on digital safety for children, both from regulatory bodies and the wider community. By enabling platforms to adopt more granular age assurance tools and parental controls, the partnership is positioned to address several of the most pressing concerns involving children's online safety.
