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L8P8, Inc. Introduces Loop8ID Age Shield, a Frictionless Age Verification Solution, Helping Support the UK’s Online Safety Act Without Storing Personal Data

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Loop8ID Age Shield confirms that the person requesting access to an age-restricted app or website is who they claim to be, using the biometric authentication already built into Apple or Android phones. Loop8ID then connects to the age signal already established on a user’s device to return an instant pass/fail result, with no personal data collected or shared. Businesses can add Loop8ID to both mobile apps and websites through a simple OAuth 2.0 API to help meet the requirements of the UK’s Online Safety Act.

GLENDALE, Calif., Aug. 5, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — L8P8, Inc. today announced Loop8ID Age Shield, a privacy-first middleware platform built on Loop8, the company’s biometric identity app that replaces passwords with Face ID, Touch ID, or fingerprint authentication already on a user’s phone. Loop8ID Age Shield confirms that the person requesting an age check is the genuine account holder, not someone using a shared device, a borrowed login, or a stolen password.

Once identity is confirmed, Loop8ID requests a simple age-eligibility pass/fail flag from the age signal already established on the user’s device via OAuth 2.0, with no identity documents or other personally identifiable information ever collected or stored. Its flexible architecture also enables integration with other third-party age-verification solutions as regulatory requirements continue to evolve.

Contact Loop8ID today to request a demo.

The announcement comes as Ofcom actively enforces the Online Safety Act, requiring platforms hosting age-restricted content to implement highly effective age assurance. Non-compliant organisations can face fines of up to £18 million or 10% of qualifying worldwide revenue. Loop8ID Age Shield is designed to help online businesses adhere to the UK’s Online Safety Act age assurance requirements without creating additional repositories of sensitive user information.

“The challenge for many organisations isn’t understanding the regulations. It’s implementing age assurance in a way that also protects user privacy while still being able to operate their business successfully,” said Zarik Megerdichian, Founder and CEO of L8P8 Inc. “Loop8ID was designed to close that gap. It keeps children out and lets verified adults through in seconds, with no documents, no accounts, and no friction.”

Many age assurance methods, including digital identity verification, facial age estimation, and payment-based verification, rely on collecting and processing sensitive personal information. These approaches can support Ofcom compliance, but they may increase an organisation’s obligations under UK GDPR.

How Loop8ID Age Shield Works

At the centre of Loop8ID Age Shield is Loop8, an app purposefully built to authenticate a user without a master password, using the Face ID or fingerprint check already built into their phone.

Once Loop8 confirms that the request is coming from a genuine account holder, not a sibling on a shared device, a borrowed login, or a stolen password, Loop8ID routes a request to the age signal already established on that person’s device, using Apple’s Declared Age Range API or Google’s Play Age Signals API, where regionally available, which returns a simple pass or fail.

Because Ofcom’s standard for “highly effective” age assurance looks at the strength of the underlying proof, not just the speed of the check, Loop8ID Age Shield is built to work with device signals that already meet that bar. Where the device already provides a strong enough age signal, verification is instant and frictionless.

Loop8ID never touches a birthdate, a document, or an identity record. It confirms the person, then asks the platform that already knows their age to answer a yes/no question. It’s the privacy layer that lets businesses verify age without becoming custodians of sensitive identity data, because no personal data crosses the wire.

Key capabilities:

Biometric identity confirmation: Face ID, Touch ID, and Android biometrics confirm the person requesting verification is an actual Loop8 account holder before any age signal is ever requested.Middleware architecture: Live today on Apple iOS in the UK; already integrated with Google’s Android age-signal API and positioned to extend automatically as Google completes its UK rollout in the coming months, with no additional integration work required from businesses already using Loop8ID. Built to also integrate with any Ofcom-recognised age verification method.Zero data storage: No Personally Identifiable Information (PII) or documents stored.On-device processing: Biometric matching happens locally on the user’s phone. No fingerprint, face scan, or biometric data is ever transmitted to or stored by Loop8ID.Sub-second, passwordless verification: Verification completes in under a second, with no password prompts or redirects to disrupt the customer journey.OAuth 2.0 integration: Scalable and deployable within days.

Loop8ID is available and can integrate into any existing system, pilot programmes, and proof-of-concept deployments.

To learn more and schedule a demonstration, visit https://loop8id.com/.

Notes to Editors

The Online Safety Act 2023 received Royal Assent on 26 October 2023. Ofcom, the UK’s communications regulator, is responsible for enforcing the Act; its codes of practice for user-to-user and search services came into effect in July 2025, establishing legal duties requiring highly effective age assurance for age-restricted content. Under the Act, Ofcom may impose financial penalties of up to £18 million or 10% of qualifying worldwide revenue, whichever is greater, and may seek court orders requiring internet service providers, payment providers, and advertising networks to restrict services to non-compliant platforms. The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) independently enforces the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018.

Loop8 is L8P8’s biometric identity app, authenticating users through Face ID, Touch ID, or fingerprint sensor already on their phone rather than a password. Loop8ID Age Shield is one of the first services built on top of that identity layer.

About L8P8, Inc.

L8P8 Inc. is a biometric-based privacy technology company focused on eliminating password dependency and reducing unnecessary exposure of personal information. The company is the creator of Loop8, a personal privacy controller that replaces traditional password-based security with biometric authentication already built into a user’s phone, and Loop8ID, a privacy-first identity middleware platform designed to enable age verification and trusted user authentication without requiring businesses to collect or store sensitive personal information, minimising the credential theft and password sharing that can lead to impersonation.

L8P8 Inc. is headquartered in Glendale, California, USA.

Media Relations

Jennifer Sistilli

Loop8ID

pr@l8p8.com

https://loop8id.com/

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Guidepoint Relocates Shanghai Office to Strengthen Regional Presence

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SHANGHAI, Sept. 21, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Guidepoint, a global pioneer in access to expert insight, today announced the relocation of its Shanghai office to the Bund Center on East Yan’an Road.

Building on more than a decade of sustained growth in China, the relocation positions Guidepoint in the heart of Shanghai’s business district, bringing the firm closer to the clients and partners it serves while providing a modern, collaborative workspace for its growing team.

“Research today has evolved beyond standalone expert calls to more connected, AI-enabled workflows,” said Michael Wang, Guidepoint’s Director and Head of China. “The new Shanghai office brings together capabilities across research, product innovation, compliance, and operations, reinforcing Guidepoint’s commitment to delivering source-backed insight through rigorous standards, transparency, and integrity.”

“Shanghai remains one of the world’s most influential centers for business and finance, connecting decision-makers across industries and markets,” said Chris Bonsi, Head of APAC. “This relocation reinforces our long-term commitment to the region and strengthens our ability to serve clients and attract top talent.”

As demand for expert-led, source-backed insight continues to grow, Guidepoint is focused on expanding its research capabilities by combining expert knowledge, proprietary content, and technology-enabled workflows to help clients move from uncertainty to conviction with greater speed and confidence.

About Guidepoint
Guidepoint provides real-time access to expert insights, combining human expertise with AI-powered research tools to deliver knowledge at scale. Backed by a global network of more than 2M+ subject-matter experts, Guidepoint equips institutional investors, consulting firms, and corporations with the context they need across companies, markets, and trends. Through live, asynchronous, and agentic workflows, Guidepoint embeds expert knowledge directly into decision-making, turning answers into action when timing matters most.

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Reap Launches First Ever Managed Fraud and Risk Service for Card Programs

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Reap Sentry configures and manages fraud controls for clients’ card programs, eliminating the need for additional monitoring tools or in-house fraud specialists.

HONG KONG, Sept. 21, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Reap, a global financial technology company that enables financial connectivity and access for businesses worldwide through stablecoin-enabled infrastructure, today announced the launch of Reap Sentry, a managed card fraud and risk service. Through Sentry, Reap manages a client’s end-to-end transaction risk management – from configuring fraud rules and screening authorisations in real time to investigating alerts, processing chargebacks, and reporting confirmed fraud to Visa. Clients do not need to build or license additional fraud-monitoring tools, or hire a dedicated fraud team.

Payment card fraud losses worldwide totalled USD 33.41 billion in 2024 (The Nilson Report, January 2026), tied to global card volume of USD 51.920 trillion (The Nilson Report, January 2026). Every card in circulation is a live payment instrument, with authorisation decisions made in milliseconds. Fraud must be stopped at the point of authorisation, not afterwards, as the knock-on costs of fraud can often exceed the value of the fraud itself. Meanwhile, evolving attack patterns make fraud management an ongoing operational function.

Built on the technology within Reap’s issuing portfolio, Sentry combines the fraud policy, tooling, and day-to-day operations required to manage transaction risk effectively. Having issued millions of cards over eight years of card issuance, Reap brings to Sentry controls informed by fraud patterns observed across its entire issuing portfolio. These controls are tailored to each client’s business profile, including its cardholder segments, geographic footprint, and stated risk appetite.

Sentry conducts ongoing screening and declines suspected fraud in real time at authorisation; triages and investigates alerts; and continuously updates controls as new threats emerge, including BIN attacks and merchant breaches. The service also processes and represents chargebacks submitted by clients, reports confirmed fraud, and provides program performance reporting on an agreed cadence. Controls are reviewed and refined as each program evolves, without requiring client intervention. Clients can integrate with Sentry through a single Reap API.

Reap protects the authorisation layer it operates and observes, while clients retain responsibility for the cardholder relationship and key first-party fraud entry points, including onboarding, identity verification and account access.

“Most companies launching a card programme have to build a fraud function from day one. Doing so requires specialist tooling, dedicated expertise and several months of preparation before they can safely issue a single card, by which point the threat landscape may already have shifted. That is rarely how a team wants its first months to go.” said Harris Leow, Head of Product, Reap. “Sentry takes on that entire card fraud function: our controls, data and specialists, tailored to each card programme.”

Sentry is available to new Reap card issuing clients and to existing clients at contract renewal, on Reap’s own API.

To find out more about Sentry, visit our website: https://reap.global/products/sentry-fraud-risk-management

About Reap
Reap is a global financial technology company that enables financial connectivity and access for businesses worldwide through stablecoin-enabled infrastructure. We transform the financial landscape through more efficient money movement by merging traditional finance with digital assets, bridging disparate economies and connecting key financial markets.

Reap was an early leader in Asia to incorporate stablecoins into our solutions. In 2025, Reap processed billions in stablecoin-funded transaction flows. From stablecoin-enabled corporate cards to cross-border payments, we streamline financial operations and empower companies to scale with our integrated business accounts and embedded finance solutions.

Founded and headquartered in Hong Kong, Reap employs 300 people worldwide. More information about Reap can be found at reap.global.

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Envision Energy Powers Morocco’s First Large-Scale Battery Storage System at OCP’s Benguerir Mining Site

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BENGUERIR, Morocco, Sept. 21, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Envision Energy, a global leader in green technology, today announced the successful energisation of Morocco’s first large-scale lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery energy storage system at OCP Green Energy’s Benguerir mining site. The 25 MW / 125 MWh system was supplied and commissioned by Envision Energy under a contract signed in late 2025, and is now undergoing testing before entering commercial operation.

Envision Energy provided the full storage system and led the commissioning work, integrating the BESS with the site’s solar generation, grid conditions and industrial load profile. The system is designed to shift surplus solar power from daytime generation to peak consumption hours, reducing the site’s peak-hour electricity bill by approximately 25%.

With five hours of storage capacity, the BESS functions as an industrial energy management tool rather than a short-duration grid asset. It is supported by USD 20 million from the Clean Technology Fund, managed through the African Development Bank Group, and is designed for a 25-year lifetime with daily charge-discharge cycles. For OCP, the value lies not in battery capacity, but in the system’s ability to reduce peak-hour costs over a 25-year operating life.

“The successful energisation of Morocco’s first large-scale battery storage project demonstrates the reliability, flexibility and cost-effectiveness of integrated renewable-plus-storage solutions in industrial applications,” said John Lee, General Manager of Envision Energy for the Middle East and Africa. “Envision is proud to be part of this landmark project and to contribute green technology to Morocco’s energy transition.”

As highlighted in OCP Group’s official press release announcing the milestone, Omar Kadir, CEO of OCP Green Energy, said: Storage is the natural extension of our energy strategy. It allows us to reconcile the variable output of renewable energy with the continuous needs of our industrial platforms, while strengthening the reliability of our energy supply. Beyond OCP Group’s own needs, this technology paves the way for a more harmonious integration of renewable energy into the national power system. By bringing greater flexibility and resilience to the grid, it will help accelerate the deployment of renewable capacity.”

The project marks a significant milestone for battery storage and industrial decarbonisation in Morocco. It supports the country’s target of achieving 52% of installed electricity capacity from renewable sources by 2030 and serves as a benchmark for industrial decarbonisation across Africa.

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