Social media platform X has rolled out age assurance measures in Ireland after warnings from the country’s media regulator, Coimisiún na Meán, about non-compliance with the Online Safety Code. The platform, formerly known as Twitter, submitted details of its age-check process just before the deadline last Friday, following concerns raised a day earlier about its apparent failure to meet requirements.

Under the Irish Online Safety Code, platforms hosting pornographic or violent content must verify users’ ages. X’s new measures use a mix of data signals, such as self-declared age, verified status, and social connections. When this is insufficient, users may be prompted to submit a government ID for AI analysis or take a live selfie to estimate facial age.

Although X has launched these measures, the regulator has yet to confirm whether they are adequate. Coimisiún na Meán stated it would evaluate the compliance of X’s approach. Violations of the Code can lead to penalties of up to €20 million or 10% of a company’s annual turnover.

Why does this matter?

Ireland’s enforcement of age checks under its Online Safety Code offers a live test case for how scalable and reliable automated age assurance can be. X’s use of behavioural signals, facial estimation algorithms, and document-scanning AI illustrates the shift toward passive verification models that minimise friction but raise significant questions about accuracy, data protection, and bias. The outcome of this regulatory review may shape best practices for age-gating in the EU and influence the technical standards under the Digital Services Act.