Age Verification

This page explains the 18+ gate on this site, why it exists and how it works technically. It also covers what the gate does and does not mean for parents and educators.

Adult self-certification

The gate on first load is a self-certification screen, not an ID check. You confirm you are at least 18, or the age of majority where you live if that is higher, with no ID upload, biometric check or government verification service involved. That is a limit of the mechanism, and the sections below explain what the site does and does not do about it.

Once you accept, a small flag is stored in your browser's localStorage. Return visits from the same browser skip the gate, while clearing site data, switching browsers or opening a private window brings it back.

Two age controls in play

Two separate age controls apply, and readers researching PolyBuzz often mix them up. They work independently of each other:

1. This site's 18+ gate. It applies to reading coverage on beerfestival.co.nz, works by self-certification and stores only a browser-side flag.
2. The platform's own controls. The App Store rates PolyBuzz 18+, and accounts its age detection flags as under 18 are switched to a read-only Viewing Mode that cannot send new messages. Those rules are set and enforced by the platform, not by this site.

The filter and Pure Mode in the PolyBuzz app and on the website are covered in the content-policy section of the main page. That section also explains why an 18+ rating does not switch the filter off.

Why this site is 18+

The site is 18+ because its coverage is written for adults. It discusses paid subscriptions, the platform's content filter, alternatives that allow adult content and the regulation of companion chatbots, and that framing is not aimed at children. Setting the gate at 18 also matches the App Store's rating for the app.

Regional variation

Where the local age of majority is above 18, the higher threshold applies. Some jurisdictions, including the UK under its Online Safety Act and several US states, now require stronger age checks for certain adult-focused services, and those rules apply to you as a reader regardless of what this site does technically. The site does not run those verification systems, so the self-certification gate is its only control.

Parents and educators

This site is not a suitable resource for anyone under 18. Parents and educators who want material for a conversation about AI companion apps should start with sources built for that purpose, such as Common Sense Media's resources on AI companions. If a household needs to enforce an age limit, a network-level content filter that blocks adult categories is more reliable than any self-certification.

On devices, Screen Time on iPhone can block apps above a chosen age rating, which covers an app listed as 18+, and Google Family Link offers similar controls on Android. Pure Mode makes the platform's filter stricter, but it is an account setting rather than a substitute for device-level controls.

Data implications of the gate

The gate stores nothing on the server. The flag lives in your browser's localStorage, the site keeps no record of your acknowledgement, and no personal data is collected in the process. Full data-handling detail is on the privacy policy page.

Reporting concerns

If you believe any page includes material aimed at minors, or framing that is inappropriate even for adult readers, that is a valid concern to raise. Send it to the editor via LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/melissablake1. Substantive reports are handled within the correction window described on the editorial policy page.

Last reviewed: October 6, 2026