Overview

• UK users now encounter pop-ups on Spotify requiring facial scans through Yoti to confirm they are over 18 before accessing explicit content.
• Users judged to appear underage or those who fail biometric estimation must submit ID documents and risk account deactivation and eventual deletion after 90 days.
• Ofcom has opened formal investigations into four companies operating 34 pornography sites to assess whether their age-verification methods meet the new legal standard.
• Public resistance includes a petition exceeding 450,000 signatures alongside an 1,800 percent surge in VPN downloads as users seek workarounds.
• The UK government insists it will retain the Online Safety Act and is working with Ofcom to enforce age-verification rules effectively.