Italy’s New Age Verification Requirements for Adult Content

In April 2025, the Italian Communications Authority (AGCOM) approved Resolution No. 96/25/CONS as part of the “Caivano Decree” in a major move to strengthen the protection of minors online.

A few weeks later, AGCOM introduced new technical and procedural rules that require websites and video-sharing platforms hosting adult content accessible from Italy to verify users’ ages before granting access.

These measures set out how platforms must implement reliable age verification systems to stop minors from viewing adult or otherwise restricted content—such as pornography, gambling, or the sale of alcohol and tobacco. All affected platforms must comply by November 2025.

Practical implications for adult platforms

At its core, the age verification system has two main steps:

• Identification: Users must first prove their age through certified digital identity systems (such as SPID, CIE, or digital identity wallets) or by using privacy-preserving facial age estimation without storing or linking personal data.
• Authentication: Each time a user accesses restricted content, they must authenticate again to confirm they are the same verified adult.

Since this process involves the processing of personal data, the law requires certified third-party intermediaries to protect user privacy and comply with the GDPR’s data minimization principle. Independent providers, like Gataca, handle age checks without sharing personal data with the adult platform.

In practice, this means the verifier (age verification providers) doesn’t know which site or service the user is trying to access and the platform (the adult site) never receives any identifying information about the user.

This dual separation—known as “double anonymity”—prevents any single party from being able to link identity data with browsing or content access habits, ensuring the anonymity of the person accessing the adult site.

Technically, the process works in three steps:

1. A user obtains a proof of age from a certified entity (like a digital ID provider).
2. That proof is stored or downloaded by the user and shared with the verifier.
3. The platform only receives a yes/no confirmation that the user is 18+ and grants or denies access.

In short, adult content platforms will need to integrate age verification mechanisms that protect minors while protecting user privacy, a balance that will require both technical adaptation and close attention to compliance.

What are the consequences of non-compliance?

Platforms that fail to meet the new age verification requirements within the set deadlines risk enforcement action by AGCOM. This may include sanction procedures such as significant administrative fines on operators that ignore its orders or warnings, or even blocking orders for non-compliance.

How to comply with Italy's age verification requirements

AGCOM has taken a technology-neutral approach, meaning platforms are free to choose how they implement age verification as long as the system meets the following legal and technical principles:

• Proportionate: The method used to verify age should strike a fair balance between protecting minors and respecting users’ privacy.
• Data-safe: Any system must comply with the GDPR. Collecting or storing personal data like ID documents or selfies is not allowed.
• Secure: Strong cybersecurity measures must protect the system from hacking or misuse. The verification process should be hard to bypass.
• Accurate and effective: The system must reliably confirm users’ ages every time they log in or access adult content. A verification session ends when the user closes the browser, logs out, or is inactive for more than 45 minutes.
• Easy to use: The process should be simple, fast, and inclusive, including for people with disabilities.
• Transparent: Users must be clearly informed about how the age verification works and how their data is handled.
• Non-discriminatory: The system should work equally for everyone, without bias.
• Responsive: Platforms must offer a clear and quick way for users to file complaints about incorrect age checks.

At Gataca, we offer two age assurance methods and both are fully compliant with these requirements.

How Gataca can help

Meeting Italy’s new age verification requirements doesn’t have to be complicated. Gataca makes it easy with a fully compliant solution designed with the fastest and simplest user experience to drive top conversion rates when users reach the age verification step.

We offer two AGCOM-compliant methods, so you can choose what works best for your business:

• Facial Age Estimation – Users take a quick selfie and our AI estimates their age and confirms they’re real through liveness detection. No ID uploads, no stored images, no personal data.
• Gataca App (ID Wallet) – Users complete a one-time ID check to receive a verified proof of age in their digital wallet. They can then share it with just one click to access instantly your site or anywhere digital ID wallets are accepted.

AGCOM explicitly recognizes digital identity wallets as a valid and compliant way to perform age verification and even encourages them in anticipation to the upcoming EU Digital Identity Wallet. Facial age estimation is also accepted, provided it runs locally, stores no biometric data, and complies with AGCOM’s privacy, proportionality, and accuracy principles.

Both methods use passkeys for returning visitors, providing a more convenient and secure experience.

The message for platforms is clear: with the enforcement deadline fast approaching, now is the time to act and stay compliant the easy way with Gataca.