LOS ANGELES — DIMOCO has announced the launch of its Mobile AVS for compliance with German age verification requirements, which have been in place since 2015.
According to the company, its age verification system ensures that buyers of German age-restricted digital content and games are of age — online, fast (in less than two minutes) and without media interruption.
“The German Commission on child and young person’s media protection ‘Kommission für Jugendmedienschutz (KJM)’ has given a positive assessment of the DIMOCO Mobile AVS system by DIMOCO Carrier Billing as a solution for an age-verification (AVS concept) supporting closed user groups in tele-media,” a company spokesperson explains, noting that the system represents a complete concept for an AVS. “According to the Interstate Treaty on the Protection of Minors in the Media (JMStV), content assumed as harmful to minors may only be distributed if the merchant uses closed user groups, ensuring only adults over 18 are able to access the content.”
Satisfying these German legal requirements are obstacles merchants often find difficult to tackle, so in cooperation with its partner CheckTech Service GmbH, DIMOCO is now able to offer a solution for digital content that requires age verification.
“CheckTech Service has extensive experience in AVS as a longstanding partner of the internet service provider Freenet and Mobilcom-Debitel,” the spokesperson adds. “By employing the services of our partner, positively rated by the German Commission on child and young person’s media protection of the State Media Authority in Germany, we are able to integrate these into our mobile payment product Direct Carrier Billing.”
The concept is based on an online multi-level identification process where the user’s identity is confirmed by a combination of entering his data into the content provider’s website and the online verification of such, with DIMOCO offering a dedicated solution for a user-friendly and frictionless age verification of mobile users in Germany.
“DIMOCO’s AV module has been integrated into existing payment APIs and can be used as stand-alone (age verification only) or combined solution (age verification plus payment),” the spokesperson says. “[It is] simple to use and frictionless which means the user does not experience any media discontinuity during order and first-time usage registration process.”
When a user wishes to purchase age-restricted content, their identity is verified in two steps.
“The identity of the user is verified in a video conference with trained staff from CheckTech Service GmbH, and the identification papers and data match are assessed,” the spokesperson adds. “The user is not permitted to access the desired service until all steps have been successfully completed and no contradictions have been encountered.”
Initially, the user is prompted to verify his date of birth and his mobile telephone number by means of an SMS-TAN process. If a user is already registered and identified, an authentication for repeated usage is permitted. If the number and date of birth match, then they can complete the payment process.
“The user only has to engage in a video call once if he is a new and not a recurring user, during which he provides his ID, linking to the user’s phone number,” the spokesperson concludes. “After successful identification, the user is returned to the actual website to purchase the service.”
For more information, email sales@dimoco.eu.