Privacy Commissioner Of Canada Issues New Guidelines For Age Verification

On May 4, 2026, the Privacy Commissioner of Canada (the Commissioner) released two new guidance documents on age assurance: (1) directed at operators of websites and online services; and (2) directed at providers and developers of age assurance systems (collectively, the Guidance Documents). The Guidance Documents are intended to support organizations in creating safer and more age-appropriate online experiences for children while mitigating potential adverse impacts on privacy.

Together, the Guidance Documents seek to assist organizations in determining when age assurance should or must be used; and what privacy considerations should be addressed throughout the design and implementation of age assurance systems. 

The Guidance Document directed at operators of websites and online services provides a framework for determining whether there is a need for age assurance to support age-appropriate online experiences for youth. The guidance also addresses how organizations should determine the nature of the age assurance process, including what form of age assurance is appropriate and when it should be used. In addition, the guidance outlines measures for using age assurance in a privacy-protective manner, such as offering users options regarding the types of personal information they wish to use to verify their age. 

The Guidance Document directed at providers and developers of age assurance systems sets out the Commissioner’s expectations and recommendations with respect to the design of age assurance systems. In particular, the guidance emphasizes minimizing the collection and retention of personal information; limiting the information contained in age assurance results; avoiding secondary uses or disclosures of personal information collected for age assurance purposes; minimizing information generated during the age assurance process; preventing the collection of individuals’ online activity; and ensuring that age assurance processes do not disadvantage any group.

The full Guidance Documents can be found here and here, respectively.

Summary By: Victoria Di Felice