Philip Morris introduces AI facial analysis for age verification

Philip Morris ▪ Privacy Policy ▪ June 30, 2025

By Marie-Pierre Vidonne, a third-party contributor

Philip Morris introduced the possibility of using AI analysis of the user’s face via an app or online interface to perform age verification, either during sign-up or when accessing product information. The stated goal is to help control the sale of tobacco products prohibited to minors. Previously, the policy referred only to “computer analysis of your face.”

The French Data Protection Authority (CNIL) issued a notice on July 11, 2025, considering the use of “augmented cameras” for age estimation deployed in some tobacco shops to be neither necessary nor proportionate. The CNIL emphasized that such systems can in no case replace an age check based on official identification documents.