VerifyMy, a safety technology provider, offers age verification and content moderation solutions for online platforms, including those in the adult industry. The company, founded in 2019 by Ryan Shaw, aims to provide frictionless online safety and compliance solutions, with a focus on preventing minors from accessing age-restricted content while supporting compliance with card brand requirements.

Company Overview and Milestones

VerifyMy was established in 2019 by Ryan Shaw, who sought to address issues with existing age verification solutions, which he found to be expensive, difficult to integrate, or lacking consideration for businesses and end-users. The company's mission is to provide frictionless, trustworthy solutions for online platforms to maintain integrity, protect reputation, and safeguard users. VerifyMy's solutions encompass age verification, age estimation, identity verification, content moderation, and consent management, powered by AI models designed to be privacy-preserving and proportionate.

Since its inception, VerifyMy has achieved several milestones. In 2022, Google for Startups selected VerifyMy as a recipient of its Black Founders Fund in Europe. The company is the exclusive global provider of age verification for eBay. VerifyMy's solutions are deployed globally across various sectors, including social media, online video gaming, e-commerce, and pornography. The company states it is the only single-source provider to meet card brand requirements and the only provider known to monitor livestream content in real time. VerifyMy is also the exclusive provider of email address age estimation, a method adopted by over 400 adult businesses since its launch.

VerifyMy's solutions have evolved in response to the online and regulatory environment, including the EU’s Digital Services Act and the U.K.’s Online Safety Act. The company aims to fulfill the need for robust compliance and safeguarding on user-generated content platforms through end-to-end identity verification and content moderation capabilities.

Solutions for the Adult Industry

VerifyMy provides age assurance methods for the adult sector, emphasizing legal compliance, safeguarding minors, and protecting adult privacy. The company offers a range of highly accurate, inclusive, privacy-preserving, and frictionless age assurance methods. VerifyMy incorporates privacy by design and data minimization, utilizing proprietary AI and decision-making logic to improve accuracy and ensure low-friction solutions.

One of VerifyMy’s proprietary age assurance solutions is age estimation using an email address. This method is described as frictionless, highly accurate, privacy-preserving, inclusive, and robust. It can be implemented in the background without user interaction, providing a binary yes/no response to the platform without sharing further personal information. This method is designed to be fair and usable by all, regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, or sexuality, and works without discernible bias. It does not require physical documents or biometric data.

For user-generated content platforms, VerifyMy offers VerifyMyContent, a solution that includes identity verification, AI and human content moderation, complaints resolution, and consent management. This technology aims to prevent illegal content uploads. Features include content provider and participant verification, livestreaming moderation, complaint resolution, monthly reporting, quality control, and content review. VerifyMyContent also focuses on ongoing consent management, aiming to reduce the average participant consent time from three to four days to hours.

Leadership, Partnerships, and Future Goals

VerifyMy is led by founder and CEO Ryan Shaw. The global team includes developers, an onboarding and customer success team, and a regulatory affairs and legal team. Gavin Worrall, VP of global partnerships, leads the company's adult industry strategy, focusing on balancing client revenue maximization with brand protection and safeguarding. Nicoletta Stefanucci Giulii, a business development executive, works on building networks within the adult sector, prioritizing conversion rates and client reputations.

Walt MacNee, who served as president of international markets at Mastercard from 2008 to 2011, became a non-executive director of VerifyMy in October 2023. Michael Klein, a strategic advisor, provides support and direction to the business. Klein has over 30 years of experience in the entertainment industry, including executive roles at iN Demand, Showtime, On Command Video, Vubiquity, and Playboy, and as president of LFP Inc. and Vivid Entertainment.

VerifyMy collaborates with industry experts, nonprofits, and leaders in online safety, finance, and technology to elevate market standards. The company also maintains working partnerships with regulators and legislators globally. Partners include WeProtect Global Alliance, ASACP, Pineapple Support, Visualsoft, MIDS, CCBill, Age Check Certification Scheme, and the Online Dating and Discovery Association.

VerifyMy's long-term goals include expanding its range of solutions and continually enhancing its age assurance and content moderation technologies. The company aims to utilize AI at scale to contribute to online safety for children and assist adult sector customers with compliance needs.

Key Facts

  • VerifyMy was founded in 2019 by Ryan Shaw.
  • In 2022, Google for Startups selected VerifyMy for its Black Founders Fund in Europe.
  • VerifyMy is the exclusive global provider of age verification for eBay.
  • The company offers an email address age estimation solution, adopted by over 400 adult businesses.
  • Walt MacNee, former president of international markets at Mastercard, joined VerifyMy as a non-executive director in October 2023.
  • Michael Klein, an executive with over 30 years in the entertainment industry, serves as a strategic advisor.