UK Mobile Operators Launch Age Verification and Anti-Fraud APIs Through GSMA Open Gateway Initiative

BT and EE, CK Hutchison Group Telecom, Virgin Media O2, and Vodafone Group collaborate to provide developers with powerful consumer safeguarding and identity verification tools

LONDON, Sept. 23, 2025 /CNW/ -- BT and EE, CK Hutchison Group Telecom, Virgin Media O2, and Vodafone Group today announced the commercial launch of new network technologies in the UK that will help online platforms verify customer ages and combat digital fraud.

Delivered through the GSMA Open Gateway initiative, CAMARA-standardised Application Programmable Interfaces (APIs) will give developers simple, secure tools to protect consumers and comply with new UK safety laws.

The launch comes just weeks after the Online Safety Act came into force in the UK, mandating age checks for platforms hosting user-generated content. According to the Age Verification Providers Association, UK consumers are now undergoing five million additional age checks every day under the new law – highlighting the pressing need for scalable, frictionless verification.

Speaking at API Days London, BT and EE, Virgin Media O2, and Vodafone Group outlined the release of CAMARA-standardised Age Verify and Know Your Customer (KYC) Tenure APIs for developers, with an enhanced KYC Match API, featuring fuzzy logic capabilities, to follow before the end of the year.

The collaboration addresses two pressing challenges in the UK digital landscape: the need for robust age verification following new legal safeguarding laws and the escalating threat of online fraud.

People in the UK lost £11.4 billion to scams last year, according to the Global Anti-Scam Alliance's (GASA) latest The State of Scams in the UK report. Worldwide, GASA estimates that criminals scammed more than $1 trillion from victims last year, further emphasising the need for the mobile industry to work together with online banks and retailers through global standardised technology initiatives to tackle the issue.

Technology companies are now partnering with UK operators to commercialise these APIs, connecting them with online entertainment and commerce sites to help implement age verification and identity protection capabilities.

Jersey Telecom (JT Group) and TMT.ID are already working with UK operators to process hundreds of thousands of Network API calls a month to support a wide range of services, from age assurance for social media platforms through to smoother, more secure App registration and login experiences.

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