Age Verification on Specialized E-Commerce Sites: The Vaping Industry Takes Action

Vaping professionals, who are independent of the tobacco industry, are committed to a robust and responsible identity and age verification process to keep minors out of the market, without depriving adult vapers of access through a ban on online sales.

While some are proposing to ban the online sale of vaping products in the name of protecting minors, independent professionals in the tobacco industry are offering a concrete solution. In a channel that accounts for nearly 30% of the market, specialized websites demonstrate that it is possible to reliably verify that buyers are of legal age, thanks to identity verification technologies tailored to e-commerce.

FIVAPE is helping the independent tobacco industry move in this direction to balance the protection of minors with access to harm-reduction products for smokers who are trying to quit.

Le Petit Vapoteur: The First Website Specializing in Production

As the French and European leader in online sales specializing in vaping products, Le Petit Vapoteur has been implementing systematic age verification for every new customer since the spring of 2026.

From now on, when placing their first order, buyers must prove they are of legal age using a digital identity solution called Yoti, which performs a guided verification process using the buyer’s face and an official ID document. To ensure compliance with personal data protection regulations, only the status “adult” or “minor” is then transmitted to the e-commerce site; the buyer’s ID or biometric data is not shared beyond the verification process.

Since the system’s launch, several hundred verifications have been carried out every day, with a high level of personal data protection. The user experience remains simple and fast, and the executives at Le Petit Vapoteur are able to confirm to the entire industry that the system does not cause any noticeable slowdown in their business. This is a very reassuring message for the entire industry—a positive experience that will encourage every stakeholder to take the plunge.

FIVAPE is helping the industry move toward standards that are more efficient than mere reporting requirements

Since 2025, FIVAPE has been conducting in-depth work on age verification in e-commerce. It has analyzed the available digital solutions based on industry-specific specifications and evaluated several service providers, including AgeVerif and Yoti.

This project, which has now been completed, provides a clear framework for implementing a two-step verification process: real-time age estimation via a selfie, followed—in cases of doubt—by verification of an official ID, with no data retained beyond the time necessary for verification.

FIVAPE provides its members with the tools and best practices needed to facilitate the adoption of these systems, without mandating a single service provider. Its goal is to bring the entire industry up to a high standard of compliance regarding the protection of minors and personal data.

Regulate through oversight, not through bans

In FIVAPE’s view, now that reliable digital age-verification tools exist, the debate should no longer pit online sales against a ban, but rather focus on establishing a standard level of age verification required of all sellers to effectively prevent minors from accessing these products.

“Banning online sales would not eliminate demand; it would simply shift it to unregulated channels,” notes Jean Moiroud, president of FIVAPE. “By setting strict standards for identity and age verification on specialized websites, we are demonstrating that online sales can become one of the safest channels for keeping minors out and distributing vaping products exclusively to adults seeking a solution to quit smoking.”

As an interprofessional trade association representing independent vaping stakeholders outside the tobacco industry—who hold 85% of the national market—FIVAPE encourages all e-retailers in the sector to adopt these age-verification systems and make them a common standard for the protection of minors.