Do Alcohol Website Age Gates Prevent Underage User Access?

This study found that while all official alcohol brand websites examined included an age gate, website visitors with minimal arithmetic abilities, such as very young youth, are able to employ ‘trial and error’ to eventually enter an acceptable legal age date of birth and gain access. A few websites only employed a yes/no box.

The study results highlight that alcohol brand age gates are weak, at best, and likely an inconsequential barrier that someone with limited math abilities can easily overcome.