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Age Restrictions

NotaeLibrary is committed to the safety of young people online. Access to this platform is subject to minimum age requirements shaped by law in multiple jurisdictions. This page explains who can use NotaeLibrary, what restrictions apply at each age level, and how violations are handled. As governments around the world strengthen their rules around minors and online platforms, we update our practices accordingly.

Our platform minimum age is 13 years old. This applies globally. Users between 13 and 17 may have additional restrictions depending on the features they access and the country they reside in.

Access Levels by Age

Under 13

No Access
  • Accounts may not be created by users under 13.
  • If a user is found to be under 13, their account is suspended immediately and personal data is deleted in accordance with COPPA and GDPR-K.
  • Parents or guardians who believe a child under 13 has registered should contact us immediately at privacy@notaelibrary.com.

13 – 15

Limited
  • Users in this range may access reading, library, and study features.
  • Social features (public profiles, study room messaging, community posts) require parental or guardian consent in jurisdictions where this is legally required (e.g. EU/UK under GDPR, South Korea under PIPA).
  • Personalised advertising is disabled for users in this age range.
  • Data processing is limited to what is strictly necessary to deliver the service.

16 – 17

Standard
  • Full access to all community and social features.
  • Users aged 16–17 retain the right to request data deletion or access under GDPR without parental involvement in most EU member states.
  • Certain subscription and billing features may require parental consent depending on local consumer law.
  • Content marked as mature or 18+ is not accessible to registered users in this age band.

18 and over

Full Access
  • All platform features are available, including mature content where applicable.
  • Works rated 18+ require a Reader Plus Library Card or higher subscription tier. This paid subscription acts as an age verification mechanism and satisfies the requirements of most jurisdictions for accessing mature material.
  • Full billing, subscription, and author publishing rights.
  • Responsible for their own account security and compliance with our Terms of Service.

Regulatory Framework

The following laws and regulations directly shape how NotaeLibrary handles age requirements. Countries are continuing to pass new legislation in this area; this list reflects our current obligations.

United StatesCOPPA (Children's Online Privacy Protection Act)Threshold: 13+

Prohibits collection of personal data from children under 13 without verifiable parental consent. NotaeLibrary does not knowingly allow registration below this age.

European Union & UKGDPR / UK GDPR — Article 8Threshold: 16+ (or 13+ with consent, varies by member state)

Sets the digital age of consent for data processing at 16 by default, though member states may lower this to 13. NotaeLibrary applies a conservative minimum of 13 globally and requires additional consent signals where local law mandates it.

United KingdomAge Appropriate Design Code (Children's Code)Threshold: Under 18 treated as children

Requires platforms likely to be accessed by under-18s to default to high privacy settings, limit data collection, and disable features that could be detrimental to children's wellbeing. NotaeLibrary applies these defaults for all users who indicate they are under 18.

South KoreaPIPA / Youth Protection ActThreshold: 14+ (parental consent below)

Users under 14 require verifiable parental consent before an account can be created. Certain social features are restricted for users under 19.

AustraliaOnline Safety Act 2021 / Privacy ActThreshold: 13+ (proposed reform: 16+)

Australia is actively strengthening its age assurance requirements. NotaeLibrary monitors developments and will update its enforcement mechanisms as new obligations come into force.

BrazilLGPD (Lei Geral de Proteção de Dados)Threshold: Under 18 require parental consent for data processing

Personal data of minors may only be processed with specific parental or guardian consent. NotaeLibrary treats Brazilian users under 18 in line with these requirements.

Violations & Enforcement

NotaeLibrary takes age compliance seriously. The following describes what triggers an enforcement action and how we respond.

Age reported by another user

We review the report within 5 business days. If we cannot verify the user meets the minimum age, their account is suspended pending identity confirmation or parental consent.

Age detected inconsistent with profile information

Automated signals (e.g. content, stated birth year mismatches) may flag an account for manual review. The user is notified and given the opportunity to verify their age.

User self-discloses they are under the minimum age

The account is immediately locked. For users under 13, all personal data is deleted within 30 days in line with COPPA and GDPR obligations.

Parental or guardian complaint

We treat all parental complaints as priority. The account is suspended while we investigate and, where confirmed, deleted. We provide parents with confirmation of data deletion.

Regulatory inquiry or legal request

We cooperate fully with regulators and law enforcement within the scope of applicable law, including providing records of age-confirmation steps taken at registration.

Explicit Sexual Content

NotaeLibrary does not censor books or other literary works. We believe in the freedom to publish, read, and discuss challenging subject matter — including mature, adult, and sexually explicit content — when it is part of genuine literary, artistic, or educational expression.

However, purely pornographic works — those whose sole or dominant purpose is sexual gratification with no meaningful literary, artistic, or educational value — may be removed following review by our Trust & Safety team.

The “I Know It When I See It” Standard

The boundary between protected adult content and unprotected hard-core pornography was addressed by the United States Supreme Court in Jacobellis v. Ohio, 378 U.S. 184 (1964). The Court narrowed the scope of earlier obscenity doctrine and affirmed that all speech is protected except for “hard-core pornography”. Justice Potter Stewart, concurring, wrote:

“I shall not today attempt further to define the kinds of material I understand to be embraced within that shorthand description, and perhaps I could never succeed in intelligibly doing so. But I know it when I see it, and the motion picture involved in this case is not that.”
— Justice Potter Stewart, Jacobellis v. Ohio, 378 U.S. 184 (1964)

NotaeLibrary adopts this standard as a guiding principle. Content that has genuine literary, artistic, or scholarly merit — even if sexually explicit — is not “purely pornographic” and will not be removed solely on the basis of its sexual content. Works are assessed holistically by human reviewers, not automated filters, based on context, intent, and overall content.

Our Position

We may remove works determined upon review to be purely pornographic in character. Authors whose works are removed will be notified and given the opportunity to respond. This policy is applied narrowly and in good faith — our default is to preserve access to adult content, not restrict it.

Jurisdictional Requirements

A growing number of US states and other jurisdictions have enacted laws requiring online platforms that publish content deemed “harmful to minors” to implement age verification before granting access to such material. States with active legislation include Louisiana, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Mississippi, Montana, Indiana, and Arkansas, among others. Similar obligations are emerging in the European Union (Digital Services Act) and the United Kingdom (Online Safety Act).

NotaeLibrary gates access to works tagged as explicit or adult-only behind a paid library card subscription. We treat a verified, recurring payment relationship — combined with an age attestation made at the point of subscription — as reasonable commercial age assurance consistent with current regulatory standards. Users subscribing to a paid plan confirm that they are 18 years of age or older.

Users in jurisdictions with specific age verification laws should be aware that their local law may impose requirements beyond our current platform-wide standard. We monitor legislative developments in all markets where we operate and reserve the right to apply additional age assurance steps — such as digital identity tokens, device attestation, or other approved methods — to users in those jurisdictions as laws are finalized and enforcement commences. Our terms of service will be updated to reflect any such requirements before they take effect.

Report a Concern

If you believe a user under the minimum age is active on the platform, or if you are a parent or guardian concerned about your child's account, please contact our Trust & Safety team at privacy@notaelibrary.com. We aim to respond within 2 business days and treat all such reports as a priority.

Last reviewed: March 2026

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