Adult Platforms & 2257 Compliance

• 18 USC 2257 — requires producers of sexually explicit content to verify performer identity and maintain records including legal name, date of birth, and a copy of a government-issued ID. Records must be retained for 7 years and be available for inspection.
• UK Online Safety Act — requires providers of pornographic content to use highly effective age assurance to prevent children from accessing that content.
• EU Digital Services Act — requires very large online platforms to assess and mitigate risks to minors, including implementing age-appropriate measures for content that may be harmful.

Adult platforms typically need two distinct verification flows:

• Performers — full_kyc — complete identity verification with video, ID document (front and back), liveness challenges, and face matching. When approved, a 2257 performer record is automatically created with the performer's legal name, date of birth, and document references.
• Viewers — age_only or full_age — age_only provides a low-friction 18+ gate using face estimation (no ID required). full_age adds ID document verification for platforms that want stronger age proof for content consumers.

Both flows use the same embed widget. Set level=full_kyc for performer onboarding and level=age_only or level=full_age for viewer age gates.

All verification data is stored and processed within the EU (Germany) by default. Performer documents, liveness videos, and 2257 records are stored in EU data centers.

For platforms that need direct control over sensitive performer documents, customer-managed storage (BYOS) routes verification media to your own S3-compatible storage. AgeEvidence retains the verification metadata and compliance logic.

• 2257 performer records — retained for a minimum of 7 years from creation, including the associated verification evidence (video, ID images, face descriptors). This retention period is a legal requirement under 18 USC 2257 and cannot be shortened.
• Viewer age checks — age_only and full_age verifications expire after 1 year with annual renewal. Expired viewer verifications are cleaned up per GDPR data minimization.
• Audit trail — all access to verification data and performer records is logged with actor, timestamp, IP address, and access type.

Embed the verification widget in both your performer onboarding and viewer access flows:

• Performer onboarding: embed with level=full_kyc and subject_type=creator
• Viewer age gate: embed with level=age_only or level=full_age
• Listen for ae:complete to update user status in your platform
• Use the records API to link content to performer 2257 records
• Register aliases via /v1/records/:externalCreatorId/alias

See the quick start guide and 2257 compliance documentation for detailed integration instructions.

Platforms with performer onboarding and viewer age gates typically need the Scale plan for combined verification volumes. High-volume platforms with large performer rosters and millions of viewer verifications should consider the Business plan for volume pricing and dedicated support.

See pricing for full plan details.