The Australian government’s Age Assurance Technology Trial has added new companies to its evaluations and issued an update on its progress.

At present, 51 organizations are signed up for testing. A few others that had expressed interest have subsequently withdrawn; these include Blue Biometrics, Civic Technologies and Fujitsu. The most notable new addition to the roster is Google, which has been embroiled in the debate over where in the customer journey to impose age assurance measures.

The Trial is now closed to new additions save a few with whom negotiations are in progress. A newsletter from trial organizers says they are “delighted with the level and breadth of interest,” which will “ensure the Trial’s report offers a comprehensive review of a wide range of technologies and approaches to online age assurance.”

Participating companies are eagerly anticipating the Trial’s results. In a press release from Incode Technologies, the firm’s GTM Lead for Age Verification Milo Flores says the trial “aligns with our mission to build trust and security in the digital world.”

“Our long-standing expertise in age estimation extends beyond age-gated industries, helping businesses across sectors combat fraud while ensuring seamless user experiences. This depth of experience makes us a natural fit for this groundbreaking trial.”

Update lays out process for interview, practical technical testing

In other updates, the Trial has updated its privacy policies, and, along with and partner the Age Check Certification Scheme (ACCS), has published the final version of the Participation Agreement being distributed to included firms. The newsletter notes that since the agreement “extends our commitments to comply with Australian privacy and other relevant laws and regulations to all the participants,” it must be signed before any live testing takes place.

Meanwhile, practice statements are starting to come in. “As with any typical audit, the participant is asked to document what they claim their solution does, and the auditor then seeks to confirm those claims,” says the newsletter. “In our case, this will be achieved through a combination of practical testing and an interview.”

The interview, which asks the participant to respond to questions across the full range of the age assurance testing scope, is the “critical element of the Trial’s process,” which will determine the product’s  Technology Readiness Level. For those deemed to be ready, there will be “some degree of practical technical testing.”

This could be testing in labs, in schools (framed as an educational experience), or through “mystery shopper testing” conducted by a consumer insights firm, which will involve around 1000 children and young people.

The Trial specifies that not all solutions will be subject to all forms of testing. “We only need to do enough testing to confirm the claims made in the practice statements, and that may be achieved with a relatively modest level of practical experimentation.”

Melbourne-based software consultancy KJR Testing will be responsible for conducting the testing and evaluation of age assurance technologies for the Trial.