Effective July 1, 2026 · Last updated August 25, 2026 · Version 2026-08-25
This Age Verification Policy ("Policy") establishes YKnot Love Incorporated's mandatory requirements for verifying the age of Platform users, the mechanisms we use to enforce the 18+ age restriction, and the procedures we follow when we identify or suspect that a user is under the age of 18.
Y🪢 is a connection platform facilitating romantic, social, and platonic connections between adults. Given the nature of the Platform and its potential for facilitating real-world meetings, the protection of minors from accessing the Platform is among our highest priorities and a fundamental legal compliance obligation.
This Policy is designed to comply with and support compliance with the following laws and regulations:
Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), 15 U.S.C. §6501 et seq. — prohibits collection of personal information from children under 13
FOSTA-SESTA — imposes heightened obligations on platforms facilitating connections that could involve minors
California Age-Appropriate Design Code Act (CAADCA) — requires platforms to assess and mitigate risks to users under 18
GDPR, Article 8 — requires parental consent for processing personal data of children under 16 (or lower age set by Member State law, minimum 13)
UK Online Safety Act (effective July 25, 2025) — requires age verification for all apps and websites likely to be accessed by children in the UK, including dating platforms
UK Age Appropriate Design Code (Children’s Code) — applies to online services likely to be accessed by children
Apple App Store Review Guidelines, Section 1.3 — requires age ratings and appropriate content controls
Google Play Developer Policy — requires age-appropriate content designations and protections
Hawaii Revised Statutes relating to minors and online platforms
This Policy is incorporated by reference into our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. In the event of a conflict between this Policy and those documents, the stricter provision applies.
NO PERSON UNDER THE AGE OF 18 MAY CREATE AN ACCOUNT, ACCESS THE PLATFORM, POST LINES, VIEW CONTENT, MAKE PAYMENTS, OR OTHERWISE USE ANY FEATURE OF Y🪢. THIS REQUIREMENT APPLIES GLOBALLY AND WITHOUT EXCEPTION. CONSISTENT WITH BUMBLE’S COMMUNITY GUIDELINES, CREATING A PROFILE THAT INTENTIONALLY MISREPRESENTS YOUR AGE AS UNDER 18 IS ALSO PROHIBITED.
We have chosen 18 as our minimum age, rather than the 13 minimum required by COPPA, for the following reasons:
The Platform facilitates real-world meetings between strangers, creating safety risks inappropriate for minors of any age
The Platform includes romantic and dating-oriented content categories
The micro-transaction model requires users to enter into binding contracts and make financial payments, which minors cannot legally do in most jurisdictions
Our FOSTA-SESTA compliance obligations require heightened precautions against any minor involvement
The emotional and social dynamics of the Platform are designed for adult users
App store guidelines for dating and connection apps strongly favor 17+ or 18+ ratings
Bumble, the most comparable platform, sets 18 as its minimum age globally and states this requirement in both its Terms and Community Guidelines
There are no exceptions to the 18+ requirement. The following do not create exceptions:
Parental or guardian consent — a parent cannot consent on behalf of a minor to use this Platform
Emancipated minor status — legal emancipation does not grant access to the Platform
Marriage or military service — these statuses do not affect the 18+ requirement
Geographic location — even in jurisdictions where a lower age of majority applies, the 18 minimum applies on this Platform
Claimed purpose — claims of academic research, journalistic inquiry, or other purposes do not grant access to users under 18
We use a layered approach to age verification, combining self-attestation, payment verification, technical signals, automated behavioral monitoring, and human review. This approach is consistent with and exceeds the approach taken by Bumble, which uses “age assurance measures designed to detect and revoke access to the App of any individuals under 18.”
At account registration, every user is required to provide their date of birth. The Platform calculates the user’s age from the provided date of birth and:
Rejects any registration where the calculated age is under 18
Displays an age-gated error message to rejected registrations without specifying the reason
Does not permit the user to retry with a different date of birth in the same session after an underage rejection
Logs the attempted registration and the IP address for security purposes
During registration, every user must affirmatively check a box confirming: “I confirm that I am at least 18 years of age” and “I have read and agree to the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy, including the Age Verification Policy.” These affirmations are logged with a timestamp and associated with the user’s account record.
The Platform requires a $5.00 membership fee at account creation. This creates an additional age barrier because Apple Pay, Google Pay, and major credit/debit cards are generally not available to users under 18 without parental involvement. Payment verification is not foolproof but significantly raises the barrier to access and creates an additional layer of accountability. This payment-as-verification layer is novel and goes beyond what comparable platforms including Bumble and Meetup require.
Consistent with Bumble’s deployment of “proactive automated text-based detection that scans for keywords and behavioural indicators of underage users,” Y🪢 deploys automated monitoring of all user-generated content and behavioral patterns to detect potential underage access.
Our automated systems analyze:
Keywords and phrases in lines, messages, and profiles that indicate the user may be under 18 (e.g., references to being in high school, grade levels, or ages under 18)
Behavioral patterns statistically associated with minor users, including usage times, interaction patterns, and posting frequency
Device signals including parental control enrollment indicators (Apple Screen Time, Google Family Link)
IP addresses associated with known school networks or children’s services
Duplicate content or account patterns suggesting ban evasion by a previously removed underage user
Our app is rated 17+ on the Apple App Store and 18+ on Google Play. These ratings cause the app stores to automatically restrict access to users below those ages who have parental controls enabled, providing a platform-level age gate before the user ever reaches our registration flow.
Apple App Store: Rated 17+ under the “Mature/Suggestive Themes” and “Dating” categories
Google Play: Rated 18+ (Mature). Users under 18 with Google Family Link parental controls enabled cannot download or install the app
Any user may report another user as potentially underage using the in-Platform reporting tools. Reports are reviewed by our trust and safety team within 24 hours. Consistent with Bumble’s Community Guidelines, which encourage all members to “report any suspected underage members using the specific reporting reasons in our in-app tool,” Y🪢 similarly makes this a community responsibility.
In cases where we have reasonable grounds to suspect a user is under 18, or where required by applicable law (including under the UK Online Safety Act effective July 25, 2025), we may require enhanced identity verification. Consistent with Bumble’s approach, we “reserve the right to ask for your ID to verify your age” and will block users from the Platform if they are underage.
Government-issued ID verification: We may require submission of a government-issued ID (driver’s license, passport, or equivalent) processed by a third-party identity verification provider (such as Didit, Veriff, or another service we select at our discretion)
Selfie / liveness verification: We may require a live selfie to confirm the user’s age against their provided ID, consistent with Bumble’s photo verification process
Account suspension pending verification: Accounts under active age investigation are suspended until verification is complete or the account is terminated
Verification for payment fraud prevention: Consistent with Bumble’s terms, we may also use age verification to investigate or prevent suspicious payments, chargeback abuse, or other fraud linked to an account
WHEN WE IDENTIFY, SUSPECT, OR RECEIVE A CREDIBLE REPORT THAT A USER IS UNDER 18, WE ACT IMMEDIATELY. THERE IS NO GRACE PERIOD, NO WARNING, AND NO APPEAL FOR USERS WHO ARE CONFIRMED TO BE MINORS. CONSISTENT WITH BUMBLE’S COMMUNITY GUIDELINES, WE WILL BLOCK UNDERAGE USERS FROM THE PLATFORM.
Upon confirmation or reasonable belief that a user is under 18, we will:
Immediately suspend the account, removing all content from public view within minutes
Prevent the user from logging in or accessing any Platform features
Preserve all account data, content, and metadata pending investigation and legal review
Notify the trust and safety team lead and legal team immediately
Following confirmation that a user is under 18, we will:
Permanently terminate the account without appeal
Delete all personal information associated with the account, except as required by law
Permanently ban the device identifier(s) and email address(es) associated with the account from future registration
Issue a refund of the membership fee and any unused wallet credits to the payment method on file, in compliance with applicable law
Document the termination in our compliance records
We will report to law enforcement and relevant authorities in the following circumstances:
Any evidence of an adult user knowingly attempting to contact or solicit a minor through the Platform — reported to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) and local law enforcement immediately
Any child sexual abuse material (CSAM) detected on the Platform — reported to the NCMEC CyberTipline within 24 hours as required by 18 U.S.C. §2258A
Any evidence of trafficking, exploitation, or other serious crimes involving a minor
In cases where we are able to identify contact information for the minor’s parent or guardian, and where disclosure is permitted by applicable law, we will notify the parent or guardian that their child accessed the Platform, that the account has been terminated, and that any fees paid have been refunded.
IF WE DETERMINE THAT AN ADULT USER KNOWINGLY CONTACTED, SOLICITED, OR ATTEMPTED TO ARRANGE A MEETING WITH A USER THEY KNEW OR HAD REASON TO KNOW WAS UNDER 18, THE ADULT USER’S ACCOUNT IS IMMEDIATELY AND PERMANENTLY TERMINATED, ALL COMMUNICATIONS ARE PRESERVED FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT, AND THE INCIDENT IS REPORTED TO LAW ENFORCEMENT.
Any user who provides false information about their age at registration or at any subsequent verification step:
Is in material breach of these Terms of Service
Is subject to immediate and permanent account termination
May be liable for fraud and misrepresentation under applicable law
Forfeits all fees paid, which are non-refundable in cases of deliberate misrepresentation
The Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) prohibits the collection of personal information from children under 13 without verifiable parental consent. We do not knowingly collect any personal information from any user under 18, and absolutely do not collect information from users under 13.
Unlike platforms that permit users under 18 with parental consent (such as Facebook, which permits users as young as 13), Y🪢 does not offer any service, feature, or access to users under 18. There is no parents’ portal, no supervised minor access, and no content designed or appropriate for users under 18.
If we discover that we have inadvertently collected personal information from a user who is under 13:
We immediately delete all personal information associated with the account
We terminate the account and permanently ban associated identifiers
We do not use, share, or retain any personal information collected from the under-13 user
We notify the parent or guardian if contact information is available and if disclosure is permitted by law
YKnot Love Incorporated is not currently a member of a COPPA Safe Harbor program. We intend to evaluate membership in the kidSAFE+ COPPA Safe Harbor program or an equivalent program as the Platform scales.
Under GDPR Article 8, the age of digital consent varies by Member State: 16 years in Germany, France, and the Netherlands; 14 years in Austria and Italy; 13 years in Ireland. Regardless of Member State digital consent ages, our Platform minimum is 18 and we do not process personal data of any EEA user under 18. Our legal basis for processing personal data at registration is performance of a contract (Article 6(1)(b) GDPR), not consent, which means that a minor’s purported consent to registration has no legal effect.
THE UK ONLINE SAFETY ACT, WHICH CAME INTO FORCE ON JULY 25, 2025, REQUIRES ALL APPS AND WEBSITES LIKELY TO BE ACCESSED BY CHILDREN IN THE UK TO IMPLEMENT AGE VERIFICATION. THIS INCLUDES DATING PLATFORMS. BUMBLE COMPLIED WITH THIS REQUIREMENT BY IMPLEMENTING GOVERNMENT ID AND SELFIE VERIFICATION FOR UK USERS. Y🪢 COMPLIES THROUGH OUR MULTI-LAYER VERIFICATION FRAMEWORK DESCRIBED IN SECTION 3, INCLUDING GOVERNMENT ID VERIFICATION FOR ESCALATED CASES UNDER SECTION 3.6.
The UK Age Appropriate Design Code (Children’s Code) applies to online services likely to be accessed by children. Our compliance measures include high privacy settings by default, no behavioral profiling of users who may be children, no use of techniques designed to encourage children to engage with the Platform, and prominent age restriction notices at all entry points.
The CAADCA requires covered businesses to assess and mitigate risks to users under 18. Our compliance measures include a data protection impact assessment (DPIA) covering minor access risks conducted prior to Platform launch, default privacy settings set to the highest level of protection, and no targeted advertising to users who may be minors.
We apply our 18+ minimum globally and make no exceptions for jurisdictions with lower ages of majority. As we expand internationally, we will assess and comply with applicable local age verification laws in each jurisdiction.
The following table compares our age verification approach to comparable platforms. Our approach is consistent with or exceeds all four platforms on every metric:
| Mechanism | Bumble | Meetup | Facebook / Marketplace | Y🪢 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum age | 18 | 18 | 13 | 18 — no exceptions |
| Self-attest DOB | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes + affirmation checkbox |
| Payment barrier | Optional (free tier) | Optional | No | Yes — $5.00 mandatory |
| App store age rating | 17+ | Not specified | 12+ | 17+ Apple / 18+ Google |
| Proactive text/behavioral detection | Yes | No | Yes | Yes — Section 3.3 |
| ID verification (escalated) | Yes | No | No | Yes — Didit/Veriff |
| Photo/selfie verification | Yes | No | No | Yes — Section 3.6 |
| UK Online Safety Act compliance | Yes (ID + selfie) | Not confirmed | Partial | Yes — Section 6.2 |
| User reporting tool | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| NCMEC reporting | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes — mandatory/automated |
| No parental consent exception | Yes | N/A | No (13+ allowed) | Yes |
| Payment fraud verification | Yes | No | No | Yes — Section 3.6 |
Every adult user of the Platform agrees to the following:
You will not share your account credentials with any minor or permit any minor to use your account
You will not use the Platform on behalf of a minor or assist a minor in registering for or accessing the Platform
You will immediately report any user you believe may be under 18 using the in-Platform reporting tool or by emailing info@yknot.love
You will not engage in any communication with a user you know or reasonably suspect to be under 18
You understand that engaging with a minor through the Platform may expose you to criminal liability
If you believe another user may be under 18, please report them immediately:
In-Platform: Tap the three-dot menu on any profile or line and select “Report” — choose “I think this person is under 18” as the reason
Email: info@yknot.love with the subject line “Suspected Minor Report” and include the username or profile link if possible
Emergency: If you believe a minor is in immediate danger, contact local law enforcement immediately before or instead of contacting us
Reports of suspected minors are treated as our highest priority and are reviewed within 24 hours, with accounts suspended immediately upon receipt of a credible report pending investigation. This is consistent with Bumble’s approach of encouraging all members to report suspected underage users using specific in-app reporting tools.
We collect date of birth at registration for the sole purpose of verifying that the user is 18 or older. We store only the user’s calculated age (or a binary “18 or over” flag) after verification is complete, unless we are required to retain the full date of birth for legal compliance purposes. We do not use date of birth for targeting, profiling, or any purpose other than age verification.
Where we require government ID verification in escalated cases:
ID images are processed by our third-party verification provider (such as Didit or Veriff) and are not stored on YKnot’s servers
The verification provider retains only a verification result (“verified” or “not verified”) and the minimum data required by applicable law
ID data is subject to the verification provider’s privacy policy, which is disclosed to the user before they submit ID documents
We do not use ID data for any purpose other than age verification and fraud prevention
Records of underage access incidents, including account metadata, detection method, actions taken, and law enforcement reports, are retained for a minimum of 7 years in compliance with applicable legal obligations.
We review this Age Verification Policy at least annually and update it to reflect changes in applicable law (including new state, federal, or international age verification requirements such as the UK Online Safety Act and evolving US state laws), developments in age verification technology, and lessons learned from our operational experience.
Material changes to this Policy will be communicated to existing users via email and in-Platform notice at least 30 days before the change takes effect.
For questions about this Age Verification Policy, to report a suspected minor, or to report suspected exploitation of a minor:
Trust and Safety Team: info@yknot.love
Subject line: “Minor Safety Report” (for urgent reports)
Legal and Compliance: info@yknot.love
YKnot Love Incorporated
55 South Kukui Street, Suite 2414
Honolulu, HI 96813
If you believe a child is in immediate danger, contact local law enforcement or call 911 immediately. To report online exploitation of a child, contact the NCMEC CyberTipline at missingkids.org/gethelpnow/cybertipline or call 1-800-843-5678.
YKnot Love Incorporated · 55 South Kukui Street, Suite 2414, Honolulu, HI 96813 · info@yknot.love
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