UK Ushers in User Verification for Adult Sites
A new law mandating age verification for pornography websites came into effect in the United Kingdom on Friday. According to a BBC report, nearly 6,000 adult websites have agreed to comply with the regulation, although at least one major platform had yet to implement age checks as of Friday morning. The report was also cited by TechCrunch.
The measure falls under the Online Safety Act and is aimed at protecting minors from harmful online content. As a result, platforms such as Reddit, Bluesky, X (formerly Twitter), and Grindr have begun requesting users in the UK to verify their age using selfies or official identification documents.
Experts believe this move could signal the beginning of a global trend toward online age verification. However, the regulation has drawn criticism from digital rights organizations, including the Electronic Frontier Foundation, over concerns regarding privacy and anonymity risks.
In response, some users may attempt to circumvent the checks by using fake IDs, selfies of video game characters, or virtual private networks (VPNs).
