Persona, a global identity infrastructure provider, has announced an integration with ConnectID, an Australian digital identity network, to enable age verification for Australian users while keeping sensitive personal data outside the verification process.
The integration supports businesses in meeting Australia's under-16 social media legislation, which requires age assurance with strict privacy obligations.
The integration allows users to verify their age through existing enrolment information held by their financial institution, without uploading or sharing identity documents such as passports or driver's licences with the requesting platform. Only specific age claims, such as confirmation that a user is over 16 or over 18, are passed to the business. No name, date of birth, or other personal information leaves the bank. Participating financial institutions include CommBank, NAB, ANZ Plus, and Westpac.
Data minimisation and compliance architecture
Neither Persona nor ConnectID sees or stores any sensitive personal information during the verification process. ConnectID acts as a bridge between the bank and the requesting platform, with authentication occurring through the user's existing banking app interface. The approach reduces both the privacy risk of sensitive data oversharing and the operational cost and liability for businesses associated with storing identity documents.
Furthermore, both Persona and ConnectID participated in the 2025 Australian Age Assurance Technology Trial, which examined options to protect children from harmful online content. Both providers were assessed at some of the highest technology readiness levels in the trial, demonstrating deployment readiness in the Australian market.
Talking about the move, Daniel Lee, Product Manager at Persona, said the integration will enable partners to meet rigorous local standards with privacy-first methods. Rick Iversen, Head of ConnectID, added that the solution allows organisations to meet new obligations under Australian social media legislation while keeping sensitive personal data entirely outside the process.
