Cyprus has recently enjoyed tremendous economic growth and unemployment has also since improved in the country. Like other countries, the gaming and e-commerce industries in Cyprus are also developing rapidly. The gaming industry in Europe has grown significantly by 5% in 2022. The e-commerce market has also seen immense growth in previous years and is forecasted to reach a market value of up to $202.1 million by 2027. Thus, this growth also presents certain threats of fraud related to identity theft and forged IDs. This makes it compulsory to have regulations in place for age verification for Cyprus.
Importance of Age Verification in Cyprus
There is a high proportion of online purchases in Cyprus and gaming and e-commerce have also gained immense popularity. Underage customers also make up a significant proportion of users in Cyprus. There have been several cases of cyber fraud in Cyprus due to the growing use of the internet, and the increasing number of online transactions. Cybercriminals also find new ways of carrying out illicit transactions through fake IDs or gaining access to unauthorized content. They are, thus, often difficult to track. So, the EU and the Cyprus Government have levied certain KYC regulations whereby the real age, along with the identity of customers needs to be checked.
Law enforcement in Cyprus has been very committed to preventing cyber fraud, including courts. They have realized the importance of protecting business, clients, and their reputations from fraudulent conduct. In addition, they also aim to protect minors in the country who might obtain access to age-inappropriate content. Thus, checks to verify ages of customers are very important in Cyprus. The country has previously been in a position of vulnerability and it is necessary to improve security and safeguard the business environment from all types of fraud. Ensuring compliance will prevent penalties or fines and protect the reputations of businesses and their clients. Additionally, companies can gain valuable insights from these age checks. This can help them understand their target market better and allow them to make their campaigns better targeted.
The Future of Online Age Validation for Cyprus
Cyprus has much the same digital environment as other countries as they are also shifting more and more to online platforms. Smart devices and the internet have several users globally and minors make up a significant part of them. Even though the digital space can be educational and useful for underage users, it can also have negative effects on their development if it is not used responsibly. To combat this, the EU has developed a set of strategies. These are designed to improve the digital environment for users of all ages and track user activity. They will provide improved age verification solutions for Cyprus.
Secure Digital Experiences
This involves safeguarding underage users from harmful and inappropriate content or activities, as well as creating an age-sensitive digital atmosphere for them. An EU code will be generated for minors that will establish an age-appropriate design and outline European standards in the near future. It will also provide a European Digital Identity Wallet and clarify how to use it to confirm users’ ages. In this way, it will enable efficient age identification for Cyprus.
Digital Upskilling
This entails allowing minors and their parents to obtain the relevant skills and knowledge so that they can make well-informed decisions about the usage of online platforms. This includes digital empowerment of underage users online through media literacy campaigns for children, parents and teachers. It will also consist of certain teaching modules to teach the safe use of the Internet and will provide constant support for minors who may find themselves in unsafe situations. This way minors would be able to use the digital space with supervision and the needed protection. Thus, they will be safeguarded from potentially harmful content.
Active Participation
This approach involves allowing minors to have a voice in the digital space. It will encourage activities suitable for minors who have gone through the experience to guide others who might need help navigating. So this will be an effective age validation system for Cyprus.
Conclusion
It has been seen that Cyprus has previously been an easy target for fraudulent activities. So, age verification for Cyprus is as important as for other countries. Thus, the EU Commission has taken appropriate action and implemented strong age verification services for Cyprus to combat this. Their solutions will enable Cyprians of all ages to use digital platforms responsibly. These platforms will verify their ages and deliver age-based content accordingly, ensuring a safe digital space.
