The UK will scan asylum-seekers’ faces for age checks—despite knowing the tech is flawed

Cognitec bias

Tests of age-verification technology show the risks of life-altering errors.

The arrivals hall and visa area with the automated biometric passport control entry gates at the the terminal of London Stansted Airport STN in England, United Kingdom on September 6, 2026.

Nicolas Economou/NurPhoto via Getty Images

Age verification is consuming the Internet. From social media bans in Australia to porn restrictions in half of US states, for many having to prove their age to access websites is becoming an everyday requirement. But one of the key technologies underpinning many of these age checks is about to seep into the offline world—with potentially life-changing consequences for people having their age predicted by AI.