Overview

• Since July 25, all UK platforms hosting adult and high-risk content must implement bank card, government ID or facial-scan age checks under the Online Safety Act
• Proton VPN sign-ups jumped by 1,800% and NordVPN sales increased tenfold as adults seek to bypass personal data requirements
• Users have exploited Death Stranding 2’s photomode to trick facial-age verification systems on services like Discord and Reddit
• Ofcom is actively assessing platform compliance and can impose fines up to £18 million or 10% of global revenue, with potential criminal charges for executives
• A petition to repeal the Online Safety Act has topped 340,000 signatures, and critics including Nigel Farage warn the verifications could push youths toward riskier online spaces