Overview

• Under Ofcom’s Children’s Code, UK adult websites now require users to submit credit-card data plus AI facial scans to prove they are over 18.
• AI facial-recognition software mislabels Matthew Whelan’s extensive tattoos as a mask, repeatedly rejecting his ID selfies.
• Whelan has petitioned his local MP to push for technical fixes that recognize permanent body modifications as valid identity markers.
• He is exploring VPN use after privacy tools spiked in UK downloads as users look for ways to bypass the new checks.
• Studies show that facial-recognition systems frequently err on faces with atypical features, raising broader concerns about digital discrimination.