The Department of Culture, Media & Sport sought to gain deep insights into the Age Assurance (AA) market, addressing the challenges faced by providers, understanding the landscape, and identifying opportunities for growth. This involved navigating the complex terrain of AA and its existing standards.
In collaboration with Oliver Wyman, we led a project dedicated to uncovering a comprehensive landscape review, alongside industry interviews, and engagement with key regulatory bodies like Ofcom and ICO. By mapping the current state of the AA market, identifying representative use cases, and key challenges, we helped DCMS gain a more in-depth understanding of this evolving landscape.
Our project delivered valuable insights to DCMS, enabling them to more deeply understand the intricacies of the AA market. We not only provided a snapshot of the current state but also highlighted standards in development and government activities. Equally, our evaluation methods shed light on accuracy and effectiveness, while our analysis of potential circumvention techniques informed strategic decisions. Our recommendations have positioned DCMS to positively impact the future direction of the AA market, foster standards development, and promote industry growth.
Authors
Partnering with DCMS to operate the UK’s first Safety Tech Challenge Fund - a groundbreaking grant programme aimed at empowering safety tech innovation to enhance child online safety
Through extensive desk research, use case development and stakeholder engagement, we recommended four areas of focus for the EHRC’s Strategic Plan relating to AI and equality and human rights.
Developing recommendations grounded in leading industry insights to empower DSIT to support the SafetyTech sector’s growth effectively and navigate potential challenges
Empowering DSIT to assess the Online Safety Bill’s effectiveness with a flexible M&E framework informed by robust research
Researching accreditation approaches across the technology sector to develop recommendations for a tailored accreditation process for the online safety tech industry
Comprehensive research to equip Ofcom with a deep understanding of online content accessibility via search services, informing online safety guidance
Crafting a comprehensive Interactive Services (IS) Model to provide Ofcom with a common framework for understanding user journeys and platform workflows
Conducting a detailed analysis of the emerging SafetyTech sector to enable DCMS to make informed decisions and continue supporting the sector’s expansion
Researching the existing taxonomy, prevalence, legislative and regulatory landscape, and emerging trends related to Child Financial Harms
Developing a ‘minimum-viable product’ for a standards framework to assess online safety compliance solutions
Through mixed methods user research we mapped the prevalence and impact of OVAWG, identified key dynamics characterising how these harms occur, and categorised 18 harm types.
Researched innovative design approaches that can support the safety of women and girls on online platforms and services.
Research, system-mapping and recommendations for Nominet's fund combatting illegal online harm.
Facilitating data access to catalyse innovation in the Safety Tech sector
