1. Overview & Our Commitment
OnFire Messenger is committed to protecting the safety and privacy of minors online. We recognize the importance of age-appropriate content and the critical role parents play in their children's digital lives. This policy outlines our comprehensive approach to age verification, minor safety measures, and compliance with applicable federal, state, and international laws.
Our platform is designed for users aged 13 and older. We implement robust age verification measures at the point of registration and maintain ongoing compliance with evolving regulatory requirements worldwide, including COPPA (US), GDPR (EU), UK Online Safety Act, and various national digital safety laws.
Minimum Age Requirement
Parent Alert System
Regulatory Compliance
2. Age Verification Process
OnFire Messenger implements age verification at the point of account creation. All users must provide their date of birth during the registration process before accessing our services.
2.1 Registration Age Gate
During account creation, users are required to provide their date of birth. This information is used to:
- Determine eligibility to use OnFire Messenger services
- Identify users who require parental consent or notification
- Apply age-appropriate content restrictions where applicable
- Ensure compliance with federal, state, and international regulations
2.2 Verification Methods
OnFire employs multiple verification methods to ensure accurate age determination:
Self-Declaration
Users provide their date of birth during registration. False declaration of age constitutes a violation of our Terms of Service.
Phone Number Verification
All accounts require phone number verification via SMS, providing an additional layer of identity confirmation.
Parental Consent Verification
For users between 13-17 in applicable jurisdictions, we may require parental consent verification through approved methods.
3. Users Under 13 Years Old
Access Restriction
Users who indicate they are under 13 years of age are not permitted to complete registration or access OnFire Messenger services. This restriction remains in effect until the user reaches the minimum required age of 13.
3.1 What Happens When a User Indicates They Are Under 13
When a prospective user indicates during registration that they are under 13 years of age, the following actions occur:
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1
Registration Blocked
The registration process is immediately halted. The user cannot proceed with account creation.
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2
Parent/Guardian Notification
If a parent/guardian phone number is provided, an SMS notification is sent alerting them that a minor has attempted to register.
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3
Access Denied
The user is prevented from accessing any OnFire Messenger features or services.
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4
Age-Based Waitlist
The provided information may be stored securely to notify the user when they reach the eligible age of 13.
3.2 No Exceptions Policy
OnFire Messenger maintains a strict no-exceptions policy for users under 13. Parental consent does not override this age restriction. This policy is designed to ensure full compliance with COPPA and to protect the youngest potential users from content and interactions that may not be appropriate for their age group.
4. Parental Notification System
OnFire Messenger implements a proactive parental notification system to ensure parents and guardians are informed when minors attempt to access our services.
4.1 SMS Alert System
When a user under 13 years old attempts to register and provides a parent/guardian contact number, we send an immediate SMS notification containing:
- • Notification that a minor has attempted to create an OnFire account
- • Confirmation that registration has been blocked
- • Information about our age verification policies
- • Contact information for our support team
4.2 Notification Timing
Parental notifications are sent in real-time at the point of registration attempt. This immediate notification ensures parents are promptly informed and can take appropriate action if the registration attempt was unauthorized.
4.3 Notification Data Handling
Parent/guardian contact information collected during blocked registration attempts is:
- Used solely for sending the notification and any follow-up parental communications
- Not shared with third parties for marketing purposes
- Retained only as long as necessary for compliance and safety purposes
- Protected by appropriate technical and organizational security measures
5. US State Law Compliance
OnFire Messenger monitors and complies with evolving state-level legislation regarding minor online safety and age verification. The following summarizes our compliance approach with key state laws:
Utah - App Store Accountability Act (S.B. 142)
Effective: May 6, 2026
Utah's S.B. 142 requires age verification at account creation and parental consent for minors. OnFire's compliance measures include:
- ✓ Age verification at the point of account registration
- ✓ Clear content disclosures regarding data collection practices
- ✓ Parental notification system for minor registration attempts
- ✓ Protection of age verification data with limited retention
Louisiana - Social Media Parental Consent Laws (H.B. 61 & S.B. 162)
Effective: August 1, 2024 (HB 61) / July 1, 2024 (SB 162)
Louisiana requires parental consent for minors under 18 to create accounts on interactive computer services. For Louisiana users, OnFire:
- ✓ Implements commercially reasonable age verification methods
- ✓ Blocks account creation for users under 13 regardless of parental consent
- ✓ Provides parental notification for minor registration attempts
- ✓ Supports parental consent verification for users 13-17 as required
Texas - App Store Accountability Act (S.B. 2420)
Enacted: May 27, 2025 | Effective: January 1, 2026 (currently subject to legal challenge)
Texas S.B. 2420 requires age verification and parental consent for minors using mobile applications. OnFire's approach:
- ✓ User age verification at account creation
- ✓ Limited personal data collection from minors
- ✓ Data processing limited to verification and compliance purposes
- ✓ Appropriate data deletion when no longer needed
Florida - Social Media for Minors Act (H.B. 3)
Effective: January 1, 2025 (subject to legal challenge)
Florida's law bans social media accounts for children under 14 and requires parental consent for ages 14-15. OnFire compliance:
- ✓ Age verification prevents under-13 registration
- ✓ Parental consent mechanisms for users 13-15 in Florida
- ✓ Account termination procedures for discovered underage users
California - Age-Appropriate Design Code Act (S.B. 976)
Effective: Pending implementation / Legal challenges ongoing
California's law requires online services likely to be accessed by children to implement age-appropriate design features. OnFire compliance:
- ✓ Privacy by default settings for all users
- ✓ Data minimization practices
- ✓ No profiling or behavioral tracking of minors
New York - SAFE For Kids Act
Effective: 2025 (pending implementation)
New York's law restricts addictive algorithmic feeds for minors without parental consent. OnFire compliance:
- ✓ Chronological feed options available
- ✓ Parental consent for personalized content features
- ✓ Night-time notification restrictions for minors
Note: Additional states with emerging legislation include Arkansas, Virginia, Tennessee, Georgia, and Nebraska. OnFire actively monitors these developments and updates policies accordingly.
6. International Compliance
OnFire Messenger operates globally and complies with international regulations regarding minor online safety and age verification. The following outlines our compliance approach in key jurisdictions:
🇪🇺 European Union
Digital Services Act (DSA) - Article 28
Effective: February 2024 (full enforcement from February 2025)
The EU Digital Services Act requires online platforms to implement appropriate measures to ensure a high level of privacy, safety, and security of minors. Article 28 specifically addresses protections for minors.
- ✓ Privacy-preserving age verification measures
- ✓ Prohibition on profiling minors for advertising
- ✓ High level of privacy and safety by design
- ✓ Age-appropriate default privacy settings
GDPR - Special Protections for Children
Under GDPR, children merit specific protection regarding their personal data. Member states may set the age of digital consent between 13-16 years.
- ✓ Clear, child-friendly privacy notices
- ✓ Parental consent for processing children's data
- ✓ Data minimization principles
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
Online Safety Act 2023
Key provisions effective: July 25, 2025
The UK Online Safety Act requires services to implement "Highly Effective Age Assurance" (HEAA) to prevent children from accessing harmful content. This applies to messaging apps and social media platforms.
- ✓ Age verification using Ofcom-approved methods
- ✓ Safety duties for user-to-user services
- ✓ Protection from harmful content for children
- ✓ Transparency reporting requirements
Age-Appropriate Design Code (AADC): OnFire also complies with the ICO's Children's Code, implementing privacy-by-default settings and avoiding nudge techniques that encourage children to share more data.
🇫🇷 France
SREN Law (Law No. 2024-449) & ARCOM Standards
Digital Majority Age: 15 years | ARCOM compliance: April 11, 2025
France has established a "digital majority" age of 15, requiring social media platforms to refuse registration to users under this age. The CNIL promotes "double anonymity" for age verification, ensuring the platform doesn't know the user's identity and the verification provider doesn't know which sites the user visits.
- ✓ Age verification respecting double anonymity principles
- ✓ Privacy-preserving verification methods
- ✓ Compliance with ARCOM technical requirements
- ✓ Parental consent mechanisms for users under 15
Penalties: Non-compliance can result in fines up to €150,000 or 2% of worldwide turnover, whichever is higher.
🇩🇪 Germany
Youth Protection Framework (JuSchG, JMStV, DDG)
DDG effective: May 14, 2024 | JMStV reform expected: December 1, 2025
Germany maintains a comprehensive youth protection framework through multiple laws. The Interstate Treaty on the Protection of Minors in the Media (JMStV) requires age verification systems approved by the Commission for the Protection of Minors in the Media (KJM).
- ✓ Compliance with harmonized age ratings (0, 6, 12, 16, 18)
- ✓ KJM-compliant age verification methods
- ✓ Data minimization in age verification
- ✓ Technical protection measures for minors
BzKJ/KidD: The German Federal Agency for the Protection of Child and Youth in the Media (BzKJ) enforces children's rights in digital services through its KidD department.
🇸🇬 Singapore
PDPA Advisory Guidelines for Children's Data & IMDA Requirements
PDPC Guidelines: March 2024 | App Store requirements: March 31, 2025
Singapore's Personal Data Protection Commission (PDPC) has issued guidelines on children's personal data. Children under 13 require parental/guardian consent, while children aged 13-17 may provide consent if they understand the implications. Starting March 2025, app stores must implement age verification for adult-rated apps.
- ✓ Parental consent for users under 13
- ✓ Age-appropriate consent mechanisms for 13-17
- ✓ Data minimization policies for children's data
- ✓ Private-by-default account settings for minors
🇮🇳 India
Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act 2023 & Rules 2025
Child definition: Under 18 years | Implementation: Ongoing
India's DPDP Act defines a child as anyone under 18 years old—one of the broadest definitions globally. The law requires verifiable parental consent for processing children's data and prohibits tracking, behavioral monitoring, and targeted advertising directed at children.
- ✓ Verifiable parental consent for users under 18
- ✓ Support for DigiLocker and secure verification methods
- ✓ No tracking, profiling, or targeted advertising for children
- ✓ Processing limited to child welfare purposes
Penalties: Violations can result in penalties up to ₹200 crore (~$24 million USD) and potential platform blocking.
🇦🇺 Australia
Social Media Minimum Age Act 2024
Enacted: November 28, 2024 | Effective: Implementation pending
Australia has enacted one of the world's strictest social media regulations, banning children under 16 from using social media platforms. Platforms must take reasonable steps to prevent underage access.
- ✓ Age verification at registration
- ✓ Reasonable steps to prevent under-16 access
- ✓ Monitoring of regulatory guidance and implementation requirements
Global Monitoring: OnFire maintains active monitoring of international regulatory developments. Our legal and compliance teams review emerging legislation in all markets where we operate to ensure ongoing compliance with local requirements.
7. COPPA Compliance
OnFire Messenger complies with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) and the FTC's 2025 COPPA Rule amendments, which impose requirements on operators of online services that collect personal information from children under 13.
7.1 Our COPPA Compliance Approach
Rather than collecting personal information from children under 13 with parental consent, OnFire has elected to maintain a minimum age requirement of 13 for all users. This approach:
- Eliminates the need to collect personal information from children under 13
- Provides maximum protection for the youngest potential users
- Ensures our platform maintains age-appropriate content standards
- Simplifies compliance with the enhanced 2025 COPPA requirements
7.2 Age Screening
Consistent with COPPA requirements for mixed-audience services, OnFire screens for age before collecting any personal information. Users who indicate they are under 13 are immediately blocked from registration and no personal information beyond age is collected or retained.
7.3 Parental Notification
When a user under 13 attempts registration, OnFire's SMS notification system aligns with COPPA's 2025 "text plus" consent mechanism, which recognizes mobile communication as an effective method for reaching parents. Our notification informs parents that:
- A registration attempt was made by a minor
- The registration was blocked due to age restrictions
- No account was created and services are not accessible to the minor
8. Parental Rights & Controls
OnFire Messenger supports parents and guardians in managing their children's digital experiences.
8.1 Rights Regarding Minor Data
Parents and guardians have the right to:
- Request Information: Inquire about any data collected during a blocked registration attempt
- Request Deletion: Request deletion of any information associated with their child
- Opt-Out of Future Contact: Request that we do not retain information for age-eligibility notifications
8.2 Exercising Parental Rights
Parents may exercise these rights by contacting us at:
Email: privacy@onfire.so
Please include "Parental Rights Request" in the subject line and provide verification of your parental/guardian status.
9. Minor Data Protection
OnFire Messenger maintains strict data protection practices for any information related to minors:
Data Minimization
We collect only the minimum information necessary to verify age and provide parental notifications. For blocked under-13 registrations, this is limited to date of birth and parent contact information.
Purpose Limitation
Information from blocked registrations is used solely for age verification, parental notification, compliance documentation, and (optionally) age-eligibility notifications.
Retention Limits
Data from blocked registrations is retained only as long as necessary for compliance purposes and is deleted when no longer needed.
Security Measures
All minor-related data is protected by industry-standard encryption, access controls, and security monitoring.
No Third-Party Sharing
Information from blocked minor registrations is not shared with third parties for marketing, advertising, or any non-essential purposes.
10. Safety-Triggered Age Verification
In addition to age verification at registration, OnFire may require age re-verification during normal use when our automated safety systems detect behavior patterns that indicate a potential risk to minors. This process is separate from and complementary to registration-time age gating.
10.1 When Re-Verification Is Triggered
Safety-triggered age re-verification may be initiated when:
- Our on-device AI safety model identifies conversation patterns consistent with grooming behavior at a high-risk level
- Server-side safety analysis confirms elevated risk scores above our re-verification threshold
- A human moderator requests age verification as part of a safety review
10.2 Re-Verification Process
When re-verification is triggered, the affected user will be asked to confirm their identity and age through an enhanced verification method. During this process:
Conversation Access
The flagged conversation may be restricted pending verification. Users can still access other conversations and features.
Verification Methods
Enhanced verification may include date of birth confirmation, government ID verification, or other age assurance methods depending on the risk level and jurisdiction.
Parental Notification
If the user's account is associated with a parental contact, the parent or guardian may be notified of the re-verification requirement and the safety concern that triggered it.
10.3 Outcomes
Following safety-triggered re-verification:
- Verified Adult: If the user verifies as an adult (18+), the conversation restriction may be lifted following human review of the underlying safety event
- Verified Minor (13-17): Additional protective measures are applied, parental contacts are notified, and the safety event is escalated for review
- Verification Refused or Failed: The conversation restriction remains in place and the safety event is escalated for manual review by our Trust & Safety team
Important: Safety-triggered re-verification is designed to protect minors and is not a punitive measure. If you believe a re-verification request was made in error, please contact safety@onfire.so.
11. Frequently Asked Questions
Why is the minimum age 13?
The minimum age of 13 aligns with US federal COPPA requirements and provides a baseline that complies with most international regulations. Some jurisdictions require parental consent for users between 13-18, which we support as required by local law.
Can a parent give consent for a child under 13 to use OnFire?
No. OnFire Messenger maintains a strict 13+ age requirement that cannot be overridden by parental consent. This policy ensures that our platform remains appropriate for its intended user base and simplifies our compliance with child protection regulations worldwide.
What happens when my child turns 13?
If we have retained your child's information (with your permission) for age-eligibility notification purposes, we may send a notification when they become eligible. At that point, they may create an account following our standard registration process.
How do I report a suspected underage user?
If you believe a user is under 13, please report this to us at safety@onfire.so. We investigate all reports and take appropriate action, which may include account suspension pending age verification.
What if my child lied about their age during registration?
Misrepresenting age during registration violates our Terms of Service. If you discover your child has created an account by providing false age information, please contact us immediately at safety@onfire.so. We will work with you to address the situation appropriately.
Are there additional restrictions for users 13-17?
Yes. Depending on the user's location and applicable laws, users between 13-17 may be subject to additional parental consent requirements. For example, France requires parental consent for users under 15, and India's DPDP Act requires parental consent for all users under 18. We implement age-appropriate defaults and parental controls as required by law.
What is safety-triggered age re-verification?
OnFire uses on-device AI and server-side safety systems to detect potential grooming or exploitation patterns. If our systems identify a high-risk pattern in a conversation, we may ask one or both participants to re-verify their age. This is a protective measure, not a punitive one. See Section 10 for full details.
How does OnFire handle international users?
OnFire applies the strictest applicable standard based on the user's location. We detect user location during registration and apply the relevant local requirements, whether that's COPPA (US), GDPR (EU), Online Safety Act (UK), or other local regulations.
Contact Us
For questions about our age verification policies or to exercise parental rights, please contact our Privacy Team: