Yoti
| Founded | 2014 |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | London, England, United Kingdom |
| Website | www |
Yoti is a British company headquartered in London that operates age verification and digital identity services. The company was founded in 2014 by Duncan Francis, Noel Hayden, and Robin Tombs.[1]
Yoti offers a facial age estimation service, which uses artificial intelligence to estimate whether an individual is over a specified age threshold without requiring the storage of identity documents.[2] Its clients include many pornography websites, where the software is used to help operators comply with UK age-assurance and online safety regulations by verifying whether a user is over 18 using AI-driven facial age estimation or digital identity checks, as well as the social media service Instagram and the retailer John Lewis.[3][4][5]
In July 2025, the United Kingdom government announced that it would begin testing artificial intelligence-based facial age estimation technology to assist in official age assessments of asylum seekers who arrive without valid documentation or whose claimed ages are disputed. The Home Office described the technology as a potentially rapid and cost-effective method to support existing age assessment procedures. Trials were scheduled to begin later in 2025, with further evaluation and assurance work planned ahead of broader integration into official processes during 2026.[6] The proposal formed part of a wider government exploration of AI-driven tools for immigration and border management.[7]
References
- ^ "UK digital identity firm Yoti secures £20m in debt funding". www.fintechfutures.com. Retrieved 1 August 2025.
- ^ "OnlyFans fined over user age-check information failings". BBC News. 27 March 2025. Retrieved 1 August 2025.
- ^ "Our boss let us spend the day visiting porn sites in the name of research". Metro. 25 July 2025. Retrieved 1 August 2025.
- ^ Nicastro, Jack (19 September 2024). "Instagram announces AI age-verification on new teen accounts". Reason.com. Retrieved 1 August 2025.
- ^ "John Lewis rolls out AI age checks to sell knives online - Retail Gazette". 21 January 2025. Retrieved 1 August 2025.
- ^ "Age assessment checks – ICIBI report". UK Parliament Written Statements. Retrieved 10 February 2026.
- ^ "UK border officials to use AI to verify ages of child asylum seekers". The Guardian. 22 July 2025. Retrieved 10 February 2026.