Compare IM18+ against traditional age verification methods to understand the privacy advantages of our zero-knowledge approach.
| Feature | IM18+ | Credit Card | ID Document | Third-Party |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Personal Data Required | ✓ None | ✗ Card Details | ✗ Full ID | ✗ Account Data |
| Data Storage | ✓ Local Cookie Only | ✗ Payment Database | ✗ Document Archive | ✗ Profile Data |
| Setup Time | ✓ 10 seconds | ~ 2-3 minutes | ✗ 5-10 minutes | ~ 2-5 minutes |
| Cost to User | ✓ Free | ✗ $0.01-1.00 | ✓ Free | ~ Varies |
| Cross-Site Recognition | ✓ Instant | ✗ Per-Site | ✗ Per-Site | ~ Limited |
| GDPR Compliance | ✓ By Design | ✗ Complex | ✗ High Risk | ~ Dependent |
| Data Breach Risk | ✓ None | ✗ High | ✗ Critical | ✗ Variable |
Perfect privacy protection with zero personal data collection. No risk of identity theft, financial fraud, or GDPR violations.
High privacy risk due to financial data collection. Creates permanent payment records and fraud vulnerability.
Highest privacy risk. Stores government ID documents with full personal information. Critical identity theft exposure.
Variable privacy protection depending on provider. Usually requires personal data sharing with unknown retention policies.
Zero-Knowledge Architecture: We never see or store personal information.
Local-First Privacy: Verification status stays in your browser.
No Central Database: Nothing to hack or breach.
GDPR Compliant: No personal data means no privacy regulations to worry about.
Federated Benefits: Verify once, access everywhere without exposing identity.