# Introducing XY Zinc Age Verification: Privacy-First Compliance for Age-Restricted Industries
**December 2025** – Chaos Unlimited LLC is pleased to announce the launch of XY Zinc Age Verification, a new API-based service designed to help websites comply with age-gate regulations without compromising user privacy. The service is now available at xyzinc.com.
## The Problem We’re Solving
Age verification requirements are expanding rapidly. States like Texas now mandate identity verification for adult content websites. The cannabis industry faces similar compliance requirements across multiple jurisdictions. Yet most existing age verification solutions treat user privacy as an afterthought, storing biometric data, ID photos, and personal information indefinitely.
This creates real risk for both businesses and their users. Data breaches at verification providers could expose sensitive information about who accessed what content. Users rightfully hesitate to hand over their driver’s license to access a website.
We believed there had to be a better way.
## Our Approach: Privacy by Design
XY Zinc Age Verification is built from the ground up with a simple principle: **don’t store what you don’t need**.
Here’s what makes our architecture different:
### Biometric Images Are Never Stored
– Selfies and ID document photos exist only in server memory during verification
– Maximum retention: 15 minutes, with immediate deletion upon verification completion
– No database storage, no disk writes, no backups containing user photos
### Minimal Data Extraction
– We extract date of birth from ID documents solely to calculate age
– Names, addresses, and ID numbers are never read or processed
– Only the verification result (approved/rejected) is retained
### Two-Tier Verification System
– **Tier 1:** Face-based age estimation using liveness detection – fast and frictionless for regions with lighter requirements
– **Tier 2:** Full ID document verification for jurisdictions requiring definitive proof of age
– Regional rules automatically determine which tier applies based on user location
## Technical Architecture
XY Zinc is built as a multi-tenant SaaS platform, allowing any website to integrate age verification through a simple API:
– **REST API** with straightforward session-based workflow
– **Hosted verification UI** – users complete verification on our secure domain, keeping biometric processing separate from client sites
– **JWT tokens** for verified users, enabling long-term session persistence without re-verification
– **Regional configuration** supporting country and state-level rules for verification requirements, minimum ages, and content blocking
– **Multiple integration options** including WordPress plugin and client libraries for most common web development languages
### Infrastructure
– **Liveness Detection:** AWS Rekognition
– **Document Processing:** AWS Textract
– **Age Estimation:** SightEngine API
– **Data Storage:** PostgreSQL for session metadata (no PII), Redis for temporary image processing (memory-only, persistence disabled)
## Why a Separate Brand?
Astute readers may wonder why we’re launching this under XY Zinc rather than the Chaos Unlimited banner.
Age verification serves sensitive industries – adult content, cannabis, alcohol, gaming. A dedicated brand provides clear separation between the verification service and the content being verified. When users see they’re being redirected to an independent verification provider, it reinforces that the content site isn’t collecting their biometric data.
The domain xyzinc.com has been independently owned by Chaos Unlimited since 1999, predating most of today’s tech giants. We’re putting a 25-year-old asset to work solving a modern privacy problem.
## Target Markets
XY Zinc Age Verification is designed for:
– **Adult content platforms** facing new state-level verification mandates
– **Cannabis dispensaries and delivery services** requiring age verification for online orders
– **Alcohol and tobacco e-commerce** with age-gate requirements
– **Gaming and gambling platforms** needing identity verification
– **Any business** required to verify user age while respecting privacy
## Current Status
The platform is currently in limited release with select integration partners. We’re actively onboarding businesses that need compliant age verification without the privacy baggage of legacy solutions.
## Learn More
– **Website:** https://www.xyzinc.com/
– **Product Details:** https://www.xyzinc.com/age-verify
– **Privacy Policy:** https://www.xyzinc.com/privacy
## Contact
For API access inquiries or partnership opportunities:
– **Email:** [email protected]
For general Chaos Unlimited inquiries:
– **Email:** [email protected]
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*Chaos Unlimited LLC provides custom software development, platform architecture, and technology consulting services. XY Zinc is a brand of Chaos Unlimited LLC, independently operating privacy-first API services at xyzinc.com.*