Parent Verification FAQs

1. Why do I need to grant my child permission to access this service?

If a player indicates they are under the age of digital consent in their country, privacy laws may require a parent to provide permission for them to access games or services that collect personal information.

 

 

2. Why do you need my personal information to verify my identity?

The privacy laws of certain countries require that we take steps to verify the person providing parental consent for their child to access a service that collects personal information is in fact an adult.

We offer several ways to verify that you are an adult depending on which country your child is in. The developer of the game or digital experience chooses which methods are available to you.

For more information about each method, see What verification methods are available in my country? 

 

 

3. Will you need to collect my personal information more than once to verify me?

Once you are verified as a parent/guardian, we remember this across games and services that use KWS technology. This minimizes personal data processing, since you only provide your verification details once, and it makes it easier for parents to grant permissions across the many digital experiences their children sign up to. 

We call this network of verified parents/guardians the “ParentGraph”. The ParentGraph stores a scrambled (hashed) version of your email address next to your verified status. In this form, your email address can’t be read or used by anyone. You’re only confirmed as verified if your child provides the same email address when signing up for another service that uses KWS’ technology. 

A parent or guardian may have to verify themself again if:

  • The game or service has not enabled the verification method (such as credit card, ID scan, etc.) that the parent or guardian used before.
  • After verification, the parent or guardian asked KWS to remove them from the ParentGraph.

We remove you from the ParentGraph if you ask us to. To request removal, follow the link at the bottom of the email you received after you successfully verified as a parent. You will be asked to confirm your request.

You may also opt out of the ParentGraph by sending a message to our support team. You can start a message by clicking the “Help” button at the bottom of this screen.

 

 

4. What verification methods are available in my country?

When prompted to verify you’re an adult, you’ll only see the verification methods that apply to you. These depend on the country your child is in, and what the developer enables in the game or digital experience your child is using.

Types of verification methods:

Credit or Debit Card verification (available outside Russia, Belarus, Cuba, Iran, North
Korea, Syria, Ukraine)

A successful monetary transaction on a credit or debit card helps verify you’re an adult. It’s also likely that you have oversight on any transactions made on the card, so you will know if it has been used for a verification.

Credit and debit card verification works differently depending on whether you are located in the US or the rest of the world.

  • If your child is located in the US, $0.05 (USD) is charged to your card. This is refunded within 8-13 business days.
  • If your child is located outside of the US, there is no charge to your card. Instead, a small amount is temporarily authorized against your card and then released.


This service is provided by our payment processor Stripe, but KWS will appear as the merchant associated with the charge/authorization on your statement.

 

Social Security Number verification (available only in the US)

Parents in the U.S. can verify their age by entering the last 4 digits of their Social Security Number (SSN). A SSN is a nine-digit identification number issued to U.S. citizens and residents for taxation and other purposes. The parent enters their first name, last name, date of birth, address, and the last 4 digits of their SSN. These details are verified by Veratad.

CPF Number verification (available only in Brazil)

Your date of birth and CPF (Cadastro de Pessoas Físicas) ID number are checked against a government database to confirm you’re an adult. This service is provided by our partner Serpro.

CURP verification (available only in Mexico)

Your first name, maternal last name, paternal last name, and CURP (Clave Única de Registro de Población) ID number are checked against a government database to confirm you’re an adult. This service is provided by our partner Nubarium.

ID Scan verification (available outside the US and South Korea)

The front and back of your physical ID card, or your passport, is checked against trusted databases to confirm you’re an adult. For best results, we suggest using a valid passport or driver’s license. In some regions, we also accept government IDs and citizenship cards. This service is provided by one of our partners, Veratad or Veriff.

Face Scan verification (available outside of the US and South Korea)

The camera on your phone, laptop, or tablet is used to scan your facial features to estimate your age. This service is provided by our partner Yoti. If you believe Yoti has incorrectly estimated that you are not an adult, please choose another verification method and try again.

 

 

5. Is the information I provide during the parent verification process stored?

KWS never stores credit or debit card details, national ID numbers or face scans provided during the adult verification process. This information is used for the sole purpose of verifying that you’re an adult. 

Our KWS privacy policy further explains how KWS collects and processes your personal data.

 

 

6. Why was my credit or debit card charged by KWS?

When verifying your identity with a Credit or Debit Card, KWS will perform a monetary transaction.

  • If your child is located in the US, $0.05 (USD) is charged to your card. This is refunded within 8-13 business days.
  • If your child is located outside of the US, there is no charge to your card. Instead, a small amount is temporarily authorized against your card and then released.

 

7. You say my card isn’t charged, but I can see the amount deducted in my bank statement.

If you see the charge in your bank statement, rest assured that the charge is not permanent. Some banks show the pre-authorization as a temporary charge when the pre-authorization period crosses the end of a statement period. The charge will nevertheless be released and shown as a reversal in the next statement. 

If your child is located in the US, the amount you see on your statement is a charge, but will be refunded in 8-13 business days.

Please contact your bank for more information.

Have questions or need to contact us?

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