What is age estimation?
Age estimation is a quick, privacy-friendly way to confirm you're 18 or over — without needing to show any ID.
It works by analysing a selfie you take in the moment. The technology looks at facial features to estimate whether you're over the required age threshold. It takes a few seconds and you don't need to create an account or provide any personal details.
It's one of two ways to pass an age check on Vivastreet. The other is full ID verification, which uses a government-issued document.
How does it work?
You'll be prompted to allow camera access on your device
Take a selfie — the process is live, so it checks you're a real person, not a photo
Yoti's technology analyses the image and estimates your age in seconds
You receive an instant result — either a pass (18+) or a fail
Your selfie is deleted immediately — it is never stored, shared, or seen by anyone
The whole process takes under a minute.
Is it safe? What happens to my data?
Age estimation is designed to be completely private. Here's what that means in practice:
No ID required — you don't share your name, date of birth, passport, or any personal documents
No data stored — your selfie is permanently deleted the moment your age is estimated
Not facial recognition — the technology cannot identify who you are. It only estimates age from facial features, like pixels in an image
No human reviews your image — the process is entirely automated
No account needed — you don't need to sign up or log in to use age estimation
The technology is provided by Yoti, a UK-based identity company independently tested by NIST (the US National Institute of Standards and Technology). It complies with UK GDPR and is certified under the Online Safety Act.
What if the age estimation check fails?
If the selfie check doesn't pass — for example because of poor lighting or an unclear image — you can try again or switch to ID verification instead.
Tips for a better result:
Make sure your face is clearly lit — avoid sitting with a bright light or window behind you
Look directly at the camera
Remove sunglasses, hats, or anything covering your face
Use your phone camera rather than a laptop webcam if possible
If age estimation isn't working for you, ID verification is the alternative — it uses a government-issued document and takes a few minutes.
Why does Vivastreet ask for an age check at all?
Under the UK's Online Safety Act, platforms that host adult content are legally required to make sure it's only accessible to people aged 18 and over. Age estimation is one of the approved methods for meeting that requirement — and it's one of the most privacy-friendly options available.
Vivastreet does not receive any of your personal data as part of the age check. It only receives a pass or fail result from Yoti.