Age Verification and Facial Age Estimation Policy

Website: axopeptides.co.uk
Operator: Axo Research Supplies LTD
Company number: 17329311
Effective date: 16 July 2026
Minimum age: 18

1. Purpose of this policy

Axo Research Supplies LTD operates an adults-only website supplying products strictly for laboratory research use only (“RUO”).

You must be at least 18 years old to access or purchase from axopeptides.co.uk. We use age-assurance controls to reduce the risk of children accessing the website or attempting to purchase our products.

This policy explains:

  • the age-assurance methods available;

  • how our AI-powered facial age estimation works;

  • what information is processed;

  • what is and is not stored on our website;

  • your choices and data-protection rights; and

  • what happens when an age check is unsuccessful.

This policy supplements our main Privacy Policy.

2. Available age-assurance methods

Visitors can choose between:

2.1 AI-powered facial age estimation

You may permit your device’s camera to capture an image of your face. An automated system analyses visible facial characteristics and returns an estimated age result or an indication of whether you appear to meet our minimum age requirement.

This is an age-estimation process. It is not intended to:

  • establish your identity;

  • recognise or authenticate you;

  • compare your face against an identity database;

  • create a customer facial profile;

  • determine your exact date of birth; or

  • identify sensitive characteristics about you.

Facial age estimation is not perfectly accurate. Lighting, camera quality, image angle and individual facial characteristics can affect the result.

2.2 Date-of-birth declaration

You may instead enter your date of birth. The information is used to calculate whether you are at least 18 years old.

Self-declared dates of birth may be subject to additional checks where necessary, particularly before an order is accepted or dispatched.

3. Your choice and consent

Using facial age estimation is optional. Before activating the camera, you must take a clear affirmative action confirming that you understand and agree to the processing required for the age check.

If you do not want your facial image analysed, you can select the date-of-birth method instead.

Declining the facial option does not prevent you from using the alternative age-assurance method.

4. Information processed during a facial age check

The facial age-estimation process may temporarily process:

  • the camera image captured with your permission;

  • technical information needed to transmit and analyse the image;

  • the AI-generated age estimate or age-threshold result;

  • the time and outcome of the verification attempt; and

  • limited security information needed to detect errors, abuse or repeated attempts.

Only information reasonably necessary to perform and secure the age check should be processed.

5. What we store on axopeptides.co.uk

We do not intentionally save facial photographs in:

  • the WordPress Media Library;

  • customer accounts;

  • order records; or

  • our website database as permanent facial records.

The date of birth entered for the age gate is not intended to become part of your customer profile or order record unless a separate legal or transactional reason requires it.

After an age check, the website may store only a limited result, such as:

  • age requirement passed;

  • age requirement not passed;

  • verification method used; and

  • the expiry time of the verification status.

This limited result may be stored in a browser cookie or session record so that successfully verified visitors are not repeatedly asked to complete the age check on every page.

Where a “remember me” option is selected, the verification cookie may last for up to 30 days. Otherwise, it normally expires when the browser session ends. Clearing cookies, changing browsers or devices, or using private-browsing mode may require verification again.

6. Processing by the AI service provider

Although facial images are not stored as permanent records on our website, a captured image must be transmitted securely to the AI service used to perform the analysis.

That service provider acts as a data processor or sub-processor and may process technical logs or temporarily retain submitted information in accordance with:

  • its contractual terms;

  • its security and abuse-monitoring requirements;

  • its data-retention settings; and

  • applicable data-protection law.

We do not permit facial images submitted for age assurance to be used by us for advertising, customer profiling or unrelated identification.

Important: “Not stored on our website” does not necessarily mean that no temporary processing or retention occurs within the AI provider’s infrastructure. Our main Privacy Policy should identify the provider, applicable retention period and any international transfer safeguards.

7. Legal basis

We process age-assurance information to:

  • pursue our legitimate interests in operating an adults-only research-supply website;

  • protect children and reduce inappropriate access;

  • enforce our website and sales restrictions;

  • prevent misuse and fraudulent declarations; and

  • meet applicable legal and regulatory responsibilities.

Where facial analysis requires consent or involves special-category biometric information under applicable law, we rely on your explicit consent.

You may withdraw consent before completing the facial check by closing the camera or selecting the date-of-birth method. Withdrawal does not affect processing already lawfully completed.

8. Facial data and biometric information

A facial photograph is personal information. Whether facial age estimation constitutes special-category biometric processing depends on precisely how the technology works and whether it is used to uniquely identify a person.

Our system is intended only to estimate age and not to uniquely identify or recognise visitors. We do not create a reusable facial template or compare visitors against a facial identity database.

We nevertheless treat facial images as sensitive information and apply enhanced safeguards, including data minimisation, restricted purposes, secure transmission and short retention.

9. Automated decisions and unsuccessful checks

The age-assurance system may automatically decide whether to allow access based on the result provided.

If the system indicates that you are under 18, or cannot confidently confirm that you meet the age requirement:

  • access may be refused;

  • you may be asked to leave the website;

  • an order may be blocked or cancelled; and

  • you may be offered an alternative verification method.

A failed estimate does not necessarily prove that a person is under 18. If you believe the result is incorrect, use the date-of-birth method or contact us to request an alternative review.

Repeated attempts to bypass or manipulate the system may result in access being restricted.

10. Children

This website is not intended for anyone under 18.

If you are under 18:

  • do not use the facial age-estimation system;

  • do not enter a false date of birth;

  • do not access the product catalogue;

  • do not create an account; and

  • do not attempt to place an order.

Where we reasonably believe that information has been submitted by a child, we may delete it and restrict further access.

11. Data sharing and international transfers

We disclose age-assurance information only where necessary to:

  • technology and hosting providers;

  • the AI service processing the facial image;

  • cybersecurity and fraud-prevention providers;

  • professional advisers; or

  • public authorities where disclosure is legally required.

If information is processed outside the United Kingdom, appropriate safeguards must be used, such as UK adequacy regulations or approved contractual protections.

We do not sell facial images, dates of birth or age-assurance results.

12. Security

Reasonable technical and organisational safeguards are used to protect age-assurance information, including:

  • encrypted transmission;

  • access controls;

  • data minimisation;

  • restricted processing purposes;

  • limited retention;

  • secure website configuration; and

  • monitoring for misuse and unauthorised access.

No online system is completely risk-free, but we design the process to avoid creating a permanent website database of facial images.

13. Your data-protection rights

Subject to applicable exemptions, you may have the right to:

  • request access to your personal information;

  • request correction or deletion;

  • object to certain processing;

  • restrict processing;

  • withdraw consent;

  • challenge a significant automated decision; and

  • complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office.

Further information is available from the Information Commissioner’s Office.

14. Contacting us

Questions or requests concerning age verification or personal information should be sent to:

Axo Research Supplies LTD
Website: axopeptides.co.uk
Email: [insert privacy or support email address]

15. Changes to this policy

We may update this policy when our technology, verification methods, service providers or legal obligations change. The latest version will be published on this website with a revised effective date.