Building Trust Online with ISO 27566 and Age Assurance with Tony Allen

In this episode of Exploring Standards, host Jess sits down with Tony Allen, Chief Executive of the Age Check Certification Scheme, to unpack the world of age assurance and the international standard ISO 27566.

Tony explains the critical difference between age verification, age estimation, and age inference, and why the rise of the internet has transformed what was once a straightforward check at a shop counter into a complex, global challenge. From protecting children accessing content online to ensuring privacy and avoiding state surveillance, the conversation covers the competing pressures organisations face when implementing effective age assurance systems.

They also dig into ISO 27566, a three-part standard developed by ISO, IEC, and ITU, exploring its five core characteristics and how it gives organisations a framework to implement trustworthy, technology-neutral solutions. Tony shares what the certification process looks like in practice, who it's designed for and why independent certification carries far more weight than self-declaration.

Key topics covered:

• The history of age assurance from the 1836 Gin Acts to the modern internet
• Age verification vs. age estimation vs. age inference
• The global regulatory landscape driving online safety requirements
• What ISO 27566 requires and why Part 1 is freely available
• How the Age Check Certification Scheme tests and certifies products
• Where age assurance standards are headed next