A new regulation in the United Kingdom now mandates that adult websites verify the age of their users, a move that officially came into effect on Friday as part of the broader Online Safety Act.
Approximately 6,000 adult websites have confirmed they will implement age verification protocols to comply with the law. However, not all major platforms appeared to be following the rule as of the law’s effective date.
The legislation is designed to protect minors from harmful online content. As a result, several popular platforms including Reddit, Bluesky, X (formerly Twitter), and Grindr have begun requiring users in the UK to verify their age through various methods, such as uploading selfies or providing government-issued identification.
This development is part of a growing trend toward stricter online age verification laws worldwide. While intended to safeguard children, such measures have raised concerns among digital rights groups. Critics argue that requiring personal data for age checks including facial images or ID documents poses a risk to user privacy and anonymity. These concerns have been amplified by past incidents, such as a security breach at a dating safety app that compromised sensitive user data, including uploaded verification materials.
Despite the law, some internet users may attempt to bypass these restrictions using methods like forged IDs, AI-generated avatars, or VPNs to disguise their location. As governments continue pushing for online safety reforms, the balance between child protection and digital privacy remains a hot topic of global debate.
Source: Techcrunch
