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Tag: age verification

  • IKE Tech Engages FDA on AI-Powered ENDS Compliance Solutions

    IKE Tech Engages FDA on AI-Powered ENDS Compliance Solutions

    Today (April 9), IKE Tech LLC participated in a formal listening session with the FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products. The company, a joint venture between Ispire Technology Inc., Berify, and Chemular Inc., presented its point-of-use compliance technology, including its patented Human Identity Token (HIT) that prevents youth access to ENDS products, and highlighted the need for a regulatory framework recognizing software as a tobacco product.

    The session focused on enforcement challenges in the ENDS market, including underage access and the spread of illicit products. IKE Tech outlined its technology platform, which integrates biometric age-gating, blockchain-based product authentication, and an AI-powered governance backend. Executives emphasized that these point-of-use systems address compliance gaps that traditional point-of-sale measures cannot.

    IKE Tech also argued that software embedded in or governing a tobacco product should be regulated under the Tobacco Control Act, noting that current PMTA frameworks do not account for continuous updates and lifecycle management of software. The engagement follows FDA guidance identifying Device Access Restrictions as critical for public health determinations, and builds on IKE Tech’s first standalone PMTA for an interoperable, blockchain-based, point-of-use age-gating solution, which demonstrated 100% effectiveness in preventing underage device activation in human factors studies.

  • Greece Rolls Out Digital Age Verification for Tobacco Sales

    Greece Rolls Out Digital Age Verification for Tobacco Sales

    Greece launched a new digital age verification system aimed at preventing underage purchases of tobacco and alcohol, marking what officials describe as a first-of-its-kind rollout in Europe. The system, integrated into the country’s digital wallet infrastructure, enables retailers to verify customer age at the point of sale, closing a key enforcement gap that previously allowed sellers to claim ignorance. Health Minister Adonis Georgiades said the tool will make compliance clearer and penalties easier to enforce, aligning with broader EU approaches to online age verification but extending them into physical retail.

    The initiative supports a 2025 law banning sales of tobacco and alcohol to minors, with enforcement already intensifying. Authorities have conducted around 82,000 checks since July 2025, leading to 313 arrests and 150 fines, primarily related to alcohol violations. The framework also requires mandatory age verification by sellers and reporting of private events involving minors, signaling a more robust compliance environment that could serve as a model for other European markets considering tighter youth access controls.

  • Ispire Says FDA Guidance Opens $50B Door

    Ispire Says FDA Guidance Opens $50B Door

    Ispire Technology Inc. says it is positioning itself to capture a multi-billion-dollar opportunity in the U.S. vaping market following the FDA’s newly issued draft guidance on flavored ENDS Premarket Tobacco Product Applications. The guidance, which formally recognized device-level age verification — or Device Access Restrictions (DAR) — as a key factor in determining whether a product meets the “appropriate for the protection of public health” standard, creates a lawful pathway for flavored products that have largely been sold illicitly.

    Ispire said its 40%-owned joint venture, IKE Tech LLC, is uniquely positioned to provide the age-gating and product authentication infrastructure required for compliance, leveraging its blockchain-secured, biometric, and Bluetooth-enabled technology platform that has been validated to prevent underage access while supporting adult consumer use.

    Ispire said the recognition of DAR technologies by the FDA opens a total addressable market estimated at $50 billion, largely comprised of illicit and unauthorized flavored ENDS products. IKE Tech’s SaaS-based compliance model, which Ispire estimates can generate $5 million to $20 million in annual recurring revenue per manufacturer customer, positions the company to capture significant enterprise value even with a limited number of clients. Beyond age verification, the platform also addresses counterfeiting and illicit trade, providing traceability and authentication across the supply chain.

  • Charlie’s Holdings, IKE Tech Launch AI Verification for Vapes

    Charlie’s Holdings, IKE Tech Launch AI Verification for Vapes

    Charlie’s Holdings announced a licensing deal to bring what it describes as the first AI-powered, blockchain-based age-verification system for vape products to the U.S. market. The California–based company said it signed a definitive agreement with IKE Tech to commercialize the technology, which is designed to prevent underage access to vapor products while allowing compliant sales to adults.

    The company positioned the move as a response to regulatory pressure on flavored vaping products, which it said are preferred by 80–90% of adult consumers and play a key role in helping smokers switch away from combustible cigarettes. Charlie’s noted that despite broad recognition of vaping as a lower-risk alternative to smoking, the FDA has yet to authorize a single flavored vapor product, while state-level flavor bans in markets such as California and Massachusetts have reshaped the legal landscape.

    According to Charlie’s, those restrictions have contributed to growth in illicit products and reduced legal options for adult smokers seeking alternatives. The company said its age-gating system is intended to address youth-access concerns directly, potentially offering regulators a technology-based compliance tool that could support more balanced oversight of the flavored vapor category.

  • Switzerland to Implement New Tobacco-Ad Rules in 2027

    Switzerland to Implement New Tobacco-Ad Rules in 2027

    Switzerland opened a formal consultation on new tobacco and nicotine advertising restrictions, setting the stage for the rules to take effect in early 2027. The move marks a key step in implementing the “Children and young people without tobacco advertising” initiative approved by voters in 2022, which calls for banning all tobacco ads accessible to minors.

    After protracted debate, parliament adopted a compromise earlier this year. Advertising in newspapers and magazines will be prohibited unless the publication is primarily subscription-based and at least 98% of readers are adults. The draft ordinance also details new age-verification requirements for online ads, e-commerce sales, and vending machines. Proof of age must be confirmed using an official physical or digital ID, including SwissID or the national e-ID.

    Additional rules outline how event organizers must prevent minors from seeing tobacco-sponsored advertising, including mandatory age checks and restricting access to areas where such ads are displayed.

  • Report Details Global Age Verification Regulations

    Report Details Global Age Verification Regulations

    Image: Ondato

    Ondato, a global provider of digital identity and age verification solutions, has released a report that maps the intricacies of age verification regulations worldwide.

    The report analyzes age verification laws and practices across major markets, including the EU, the United States, the United Kingdom and emerging economies. It provides sector-specific insights into regulations affecting industries such as gaming, social media, e-commerce and online content streaming. Additionally, the report identifies common compliance challenges that businesses face when navigating diverse regulations and explores how technology can help mitigate these issues.

    “Our goal is to empower businesses with the knowledge and tools they need to stay compliant and protected,” said Ondato co-founder and CEO Liudas Kanapienis. “This report is an invaluable tool for companies striving to keep pace with the evolving regulatory environment.”

  • Ondato Launches Age-Verification System

    Ondato Launches Age-Verification System

    Image: Ondato

    Ondato has launched a reusable age-verification solution, called OnAge.

    The technology is designed to streamline age-restricted access and ensure user anonymity for digital platforms. Combining AI device recognition with biometric algorithms, the system enables companies to determine the ages of their users with 98.7 percent to 100 percent accuracy and use the results of the verification for subsequent visits, eliminating friction in granting users repeat access, according to Ondato.

    Because the system retains only the user’s age eligibility status after verification, it complies with the strictest privacy and security standards. In addition, OnAge can be implemented into any website or app without requiring additional downloads from users.

    “We’re excited to launch OnAge as a response to both regulatory needs and user demands for a more seamless, secure age-verification solution,” said Liudas Kanapienis, CEO and co-founder of Ondato.

    “Our OnAge solution combines cutting-edge AI and biometric technology to ensure age compliance in a way that doesn’t compromise user experience or data privacy while keeping verification costs lower than other similar solutions. By introducing reusable verification, we’re making it easier for companies to protect minors while offering users a smoother, faster process.”

    One of the advantages of OnAge is reusable verification, which allows businesses to save costs and spares customers the hassle of repeated verification each time they want to access restricted content or services.

    After verifying their age once, users can create a four-digit PIN to access age-restricted content for a specified period, as set by the platform.