Age-Gating
Mechanisms that restrict ad targeting or content access based on user age, required for age-restricted products and services.
What Age-Gating means
Age-gating refers to targeting restrictions and content barriers that limit ad exposure to users above a certain age threshold. Platforms enforce age-gating for categories like alcohol (typically 21+ in the US, 18+ in most other countries), gambling, dating, and financial products. Age-gating requirements vary by platform, product category, and jurisdiction. Meta enforces automatic age restrictions for alcohol and dating ads, Google restricts gambling ads to verified users, and TikTok has blanket restrictions on targeting users under 18 for most ad categories. Failure to properly implement age-gating can result in ad rejection, account suspension, and potential legal liability under regulations like COPPA.
Related terms
COPPA
The Children's Online Privacy Protection Act — a US federal law that restricts the collection of personal data from children under 13.
Restricted Content
Ad content categories that are allowed on platforms but only with specific restrictions, certifications, or targeting limitations.
Audience Targeting
The process of defining which users will see an ad based on demographics, interests, behaviors, and other criteria.
Alcohol Advertising
Advertising for alcoholic beverages, subject to strict platform policies, age-gating requirements, and jurisdiction-specific regulations.