Frequently Asked Questions
How does age assurance work?
The age assurance process is actually really simple – and it doesn’t involve C.AI seeing your photo ID.
Here’s how it works: First, we run our “age assurance” tech. That just means we look at a number of signals, including login info, activity on the platform, and some signals from third parties. (This is a standard way that companies do age assurance.) If that process indicates you’re 18+, you’re good to go.
If the process indicates you’re under 18, we’ll let you know. At that point you can either use the under-18 experience, or you can choose to do age verification to get back to the 18+ experience. But even if you do age verification, for most of you that still doesn’t mean you have to provide an ID! Instead all you have to do is snap a selfie. Our third-party provider, Persona, can do verification using that selfie. It only takes seconds and doesn’t involve giving anyone your ID.
Only as a final step – and only if you take a selfie and Persona isn’t sure you’re 18+ – would they ask you to upload an ID. Persona is a reputable provider with strong safety and security controls. C.AI wouldn’t collect or have access to that ID.
Do all users need to go through an age verification? Is it based on the birthday we set?
No. We’ll use age assurance tech to understand how old users are, without you having to do anything or give us any more data. You won’t have to do age verification – i.e. you won’t be asked for a selfie – unless we believe you’re under 18 and you want to prove that you’re actually 18+.
How will we determine if a user is u18? Is it looking at chats, characters, etc.?
We’ll look at a number of signals, including login info, activity on the platform, and some signals from third parties. This is a standard way that companies do age assurance.
I already have an over 18 account, will I be asked to verify my age?
We’ll run our age assurance technology on all accounts. But as we said above, you won’t be asked to verify your age – i.e. you won’t be asked for a selfie – unless we believe you’re under 18 and you want to prove that you’re actually 18+.
What if I look young but I’m over 18, will I have to give my ID? I don't want to give you my ID.
No one will have to give C.AI an ID, and most users won’t need to give Persona an ID either.
If our age assurance tech indicates you’re 18+, you won’t need to do any age verification at all. If it indicates you’re under 18, and that’s not right, then you would just go through the selfie age verification process, powered by Persona. Only as a final step – and only if you take a selfie and Persona isn’t sure you’re 18+ – would they ask you to upload an ID.
What happens when I turn 18, what will happen to my account?
When you turn 18, you’ll be able to migrate to the 18+ experience. If we’re not sure whether you’ve turned 18, you might be asked for the age verification selfie.
What are you doing with my ID? Do you save or share this?
No one will have to give C.AI an ID, and most users won’t need to give Persona an ID either.
For those users who do get prompted for an ID, it’s collected by Persona, not C.AI. Persona is a reputable third-party provider with strong safety and security controls. And they only keep the IDs they collect for one week.
Can you confirm that my data is safe and will not be leaked/ don’t give them my data.
Persona is a reputable third-party provider with strong safety and security controls. And they only keep the IDs they collect for one week.
Are there alternative age-verification methods that don’t require submitting personal data?
Our age assurance tech doesn’t require you to submit any extra personal data.
As we said above, if that age assurance tech indicates you’re under 18 but you’re actually 18+, then yes, you’d need to submit some personal data to verify that. But even then that still doesn’t mean you have to provide an ID! Instead all you have to do is snap a selfie. Our third-party provider, Persona, can do verification using that selfie. It only takes seconds and doesn’t involve giving Persona your ID.
Only as a final step – and only if you take a selfie and Persona isn’t sure you’re 18+ – would they ask you to upload an ID. Persona is a reputable provider with strong safety and security controls. C.AI wouldn’t collect or have access to that ID.
Will any of this ever change?
Technology is always changing, so it’s possible we’ll do this differently in the future. Also, if in the future we launch virtual currency or similar features, we may need to create very limited exceptions where we work with Persona to access an ID so we can help resolve things like fraud issues.
However, here is the key point: If we ever need to make any material changes – key changes in how we collect or access your data – we would always tell you and get your consent first.
What if I want to switch devices?
You can! Verification can be completed on any device. Just make sure you’re logged into Character.ai and use the QR code shown during the age verification process.
It still doesn’t seem to be working and I can’t attempt verification anymore.
Please submit a ticket here:
https://support.character.ai/hc/en-us/requests/new?ticket_form_id=49908049930139 and our team can assist you.
I’ve been verified, but I think I’m in the wrong experience.
Please submit a ticket via support.character.ai so we can review and correct your age bracket or restart the process if needed.
I don’t see an option to verify my age. Am I missing something?
Age Assurance is rolling out gradually so not all users will see this at the same time.
What if I don’t have a government ID?
During the age verification process with Persona, some users are required to provide a government-issued ID based on the results of the initial face scan. In this case, an accepted form of ID is required to continue.
Without a valid ID, the verification process cannot be completed and the account cannot move forward.
Do you look at my data?
- To support our age assurance process, we are partnering with reputable third-party services like Persona, which is widely used today by companies like LinkedIn, OpenAI, Block, and Etsy.
- Our service provider Persona processes your information to verify your age, identify fraud, and for quality assurance. Any biometric information is deleted within seven (7) days.
Why do I have to do this?
You can read more about Age Assurance here: https://www.reddit.com/r/CharacterAI/comments/1okgk8d/age_assurance_what_you_need_to_know/
What device should I use?
Use your most up-to-date device. If you have an iPhone, Pixel, or Android, choose the one with the best camera. If you’re using a computer, make sure it has a working camera. Using the most up to date and most recent devices will give you the best results.
Important Note
If our age assurance technology flags you as under 18 but you’re not, we don’t want you to lose access to chat. Please head to Settings to verify your age.
For the mobile app: Go to Settings -> Advanced -> Verify Age. If you do not see this setting, make sure you have the latest version of the app
For web: Go to character.ai. Then go to Settings -> Advanced -> Verify Age