Lawmakers are under increasing pressure to implement biometric age verification measures to combat the rising issue of underage vaping. Proposals include leveraging AI-powered apps and integrating advanced biometric tools to prevent minors from purchasing vape products, echoing initiatives already underway in countries like Ireland and the United States.
As the pressure mounts for lawmakers, it trickles down to the biometric systems providers to have the tools readily available. Retailers across Ireland, the UK and the U.S. have already begun adopting AI age assurance apps, designed to verify the age of customers attempting to purchase vaping products.
IKE Tech launches biometric app for vape devices
In the UK, the widespread accessibility of vape products to minors has sparked calls for innovative systems, with age verification at the forefront.
IKE Tech has unveiled a technology platform designed to enforce continuous age verification on vaping devices, as the UK government prepares to introduce its Tobacco and Vapes Bill to Parliament.
The proposed legislation includes measures to raise the legal age for tobacco sales incrementally, restrict child-friendly vape packaging, and establish a licensing scheme for vape and tobacco products. However, IKE Tech has argued that while these steps may curb underage vaping, they are unlikely to eliminate the problem entirely, CityAM reports.
The company’s tool involves embedding a Bluetooth-enabled chip in vaping devices, functioning as a “child lock.” Paired with an app linked to global identity verification platforms that provide authentication with selfie biometrics, the system’s main focus is to prevent vapes from being used unless the user’s age is authenticated.
Similar ideas have been gaining traction globally. In the U.S., e-cigarette company Juul proposed integrating age assurance mechanisms directly into vaping devices last year, after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ordered the company to stop selling vapes. The tool would require users to connect their vape pens to a smartphone app that verifies their identity and age through biometrics. Juul uses Jumio‘s NetVerify for identity and age verification online.
This strategy aligns with the push for stricter regulations outlined by the FDA. Ispire Technology Inc. and its joint venture partner IKE Tech LLC have successfully completed a pre-market submission meeting with the FDA for their age verification technology, which aims to prevent underage access to electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) while allowing adult users to continue using flavored vaping products.
By using blockchain technology and collaborating with identity verification providers, the IKE Tech platform aims to provide a tool for vaping products, particularly those that are flavored and already approved under the FDA’s Pre-Market Tobacco Product Application (PMTA) process.
The technology is seen as a potential tool for expanding adult access to flavored vapor products, while helping to reduce underage vaping by introducing robust age-gating measures at the point of use.
Age assurance app and store rollouts in Ireland
In Ireland, an AI-powered app for automating age estimation by Johnston Retail Services and Privately has been deployed across retail outlets. The AgeAI app scans users’ biometric data, such as facial features, to infer their age before purchase.
“Underage vaping is a problem in Ireland, and there’s a pressing requirement to prevent sales to minors,” says Deepak Tewari, CEO, Privately.
“But store owners and managers need help, and our partnership with Johnston Retail Services delivers that, with an automated, accurate and speedy solution that allows staff to avoid the confrontation that comes from requests for ID and turning people away.”
AgeAI is already deployed to hundreds of vape stores in the UK through a partnership with Our Vape Advocacy.
Research found that four out of five vape users in Northern Ireland have never been asked to verify their age before purchase.
Article Topics
age verification | biometrics | face biometrics | IKE Tech | Privately | selfie biometrics
