In 2025, we are still debating online sales of nicotine products through a lens shaped by the dial-up internet era.
Working in regulatory affairs for an online retailer of adult-only nicotine products means navigating a landscape full of inconsistencies. In 2025, we are still debating online sales of adult-restricted products through a lens shaped by the dial-up internet era.
Nearly every other part of commerce has modernized. Other adult businesses have built seamless digital experiences, real-time verification systems and robust safeguards integrated into their infrastructure. Yet when it comes to nicotine retailers, policy and public discourse continue to rely on prohibition-era assumptions rather than contemporary systems.
This disconnect is especially striking when compared with how other regulated adult markets operate. Alcohol is routinely delivered to verified adults. In many states, cannabis functions as a compliance-driven, tech-forward industry. Sports betting platforms authenticate users within seconds using robust identity verification. These sectors are not defined by lax standards, but by sophisticated controls designed to manage risk at scale.
There is more to age verification across multiple industries that also applies to nicotine companies.
The Old ‘Click to Confirm You’re 21’ Button Is Not the Whole Story Anymore
There’s a widespread belief that underage buyers can slip into online adult marketplaces with one sneaky click. That might have been the story 20 years ago, but that’s not how the internet works today.
The ubiquitous “Click to confirm you’re 21” button, while still used, is just the beginning. The real security happens behind the scenes, and it’s a lot tougher than manual scans at checkout. According to Expert Insights, today’s responsible online retailers have implemented critical tools that maintain and restrict underage access.
These solutions run like multi-layered digital strongholds equipped with age and identity checks, biometric tools, digital verifications and database matching, which make the old pop-up look like a joke.
