Zero-Knowledge Verification - IM18+ Documentation

🔒 What is Zero-Knowledge Verification?

Zero-knowledge verification means we can confirm a user is 18+ without collecting, storing, or processing any personal information. IM18+ only stores a simple verification flag - no names, emails, addresses, or any identifying data.

✅ What We Store

• Verification flag (true/false)
• Timestamp of verification
• Expiration date (30 days)

❌ What We DON'T Store

• Names or personal information
• Email addresses
• Physical addresses
• Credit card information
• ID document scans
• Tracking cookies

🎯 The Result

Users verify their age once and gain access to all participating sites, while maintaining complete anonymity. No data breaches, no privacy violations, no regulatory compliance issues.

⚙️ Technical Implementation

Verification Process

1

User Initiates Verification

User clicks "I'm 18+" or similar verification trigger on any partner site

2

Simple Age Confirmation

User confirms their age with a simple yes/no question - no personal data required

3

Verification Flag Set

IM18+ sets a simple verification cookie with timestamp - no personal data stored

4

Universal Access

User can now access all participating sites without re-verification for 30 days

Cookie Structure

// Only two simple cookies
age_verified=true
verification_timestamp=1642781400

// No personal data, no tracking, no fingerprinting

🛡️ Privacy Guarantees

Data Minimization

• Collect only what's absolutely necessary (age confirmation)
• No registration or account creation required
• No email collection or verification
• No behavioral tracking or analytics

User Control

• Users can clear verification anytime
• No permanent records or profiles
• Automatic expiration after 30 days
• No data portability issues (no data to port)

Technical Safeguards

• HTTPS encryption for all communications
• Secure cookie flags (HttpOnly, Secure)
• No server-side user database
• No log retention of personal information

Legal Protection

• GDPR compliant by design
• No data breach risk (no data to breach)
• No right to erasure needed (nothing to erase)
• No data processing consent required

⚖️ Comparison with Traditional Methods

Method	Data Collected	Privacy Risk	User Experience
IM18+ Zero-Knowledge	Verification flag only	Minimal	Verify once, access everywhere
Credit Card	Full payment details, address	High	Per-site verification
ID Upload	Photo ID, personal details	Very High	Complex, intrusive
Third-party Services	Various personal data	Medium-High	Account required

📋 Legal Compliance

GDPR Compliance

• No personal data processing: Only boolean verification flag
• Data minimization: Collect only what's necessary
• Purpose limitation: Used only for age verification
• Storage limitation: 30-day automatic expiration
• No consent fatigue: Simple one-time action

CCPA Compliance

• No personal information sale: Nothing to sell
• No data sharing: Verification stays local
• No tracking: No behavioral monitoring
• Transparent operation: Clear about what we store

Industry Standards

IM18+ meets or exceeds all major privacy frameworks including ISO 27001, SOC 2, and privacy-by-design principles. Our zero-knowledge approach eliminates most compliance risks by simply not collecting sensitive data in the first place.