UK’s Online Safety Act Enforces Mandatory Age Verification

The United Kingdom's contentious Online Safety Act finally became law on July 25, 2025, and it represents a dramatic new direction for the access of adult material on the web. Aimed at protecting children from objective content, the legislation requires tough age verification checks for adult websites and digital platforms. But it has ignited a heated debate about privacy, digital rights, and enforcement realities not only within the UK, but across the world.

A Global Law with Global Implications

Despite being a UK law, the Online Safety Act reaches beyond UK-based sites and now encompasses international behemoths such as Pornhub, Tinder, Hinge, Discord, Reddit, and Bluesky. These sites are now required to put in place robust age checks or risk severe punishment. Managed by Ofcom, the communication regulator of the UK, non-compliant businesses can risk fines of up to 10% of their worldwide annual turnover a humongous amount for multilateral tech firms.

No More Checkbox Age Gates

Under the new regulation, casual "Are you 18?" checkboxes are no longer acceptable. Instead, platforms are deploying more advanced and invasive methods. Users are now being asked to submit sensitive information such as:

• Credit card details

• Government-issued photo IDs

• Facial age estimation using AI and biometric data

Sites like Pornhub, Reddit, Bluesky, and Discord have already implemented these shifts. However, Ofcom left intentionally ambiguous the parameters of which technologies are acceptable, saying that verification methods should "be strong" and "highly effective" but did not provide any specific tech stack or solution. This ambiguity has forced platforms to search for the right balance between compliance and user retention.

Privacy Advocates Sound the Alarm Over the Collection of Highly Sensitive Data

The move has drawn sharp criticism from digital rights organizations and privacy advocates. Concerns primarily center around the potential misuse and mishandling of sensitive personal data. Submitting documents like passports or using AI-powered facial scans raises legitimate fears around identity theft, data breaches, and government surveillance. Critics argue that the law, while well-intentioned, trades privacy for protection a deal many users are unwilling to make.

VPNs to the Rescue

Surprisingly, the severity of the law has brought with it a glaring loophole in enforcement: users simply bypass the UK's age verification process by employing a VPN (Virtual Private Network). VPNs enable users to hide their IP addresses, simulating the appearance that they're accessing the Internet from another country thus beating the UK-specific restrictions.

In fact, this loophole has led to an explosive surge in VPN signups. Proton VPN, a leading service, reported a jaw-dropping 1,400% spike in hourly registrations on the day the law was implemented. And it’s not just Proton services like Mullvad, Windscribe, and many others have seen a surge in demand. These services are even being actively promoted as alternatives on websites looking to support user privacy in the wake of the new rules.

Enforcement Loopholes and a Public Backlash Mounting

Although Ofcom has the power to issue hefty penalties, whether or not the law is effective in enforcement is questionable. With so many simple workarounds available, especially for people with technical know-how, the law's real extent could be very limited. Furthermore, the government is now under fire on a big scale. Over 100,000 signatures have been garnered so far to call for the abolition of the new age verification mandate. A vote for it should be set to take place in a few days when its debate is scheduled.

What's Next for the Internet in the UK?

The UK's Online Safety Act is a turning point in international internet regulation. It underscores the constant battle to safeguard children on the internet and preserve digital freedom and confidentiality. As consumers resort to VPNs and alternative platforms, and legislative action gains intensity, the law's future hangs in the balance.

Meanwhile, if you're based in the UK and interested in remaining worried about some violations of digital rights, there are better options available beyond Proton, like Mullvad and Windscribe, IVPN, which all sound pretty private and don't collect any data. Find more alternatives on our page about Proton VPN Alternatives .

Whereas the goal of the UK's Online Safety Act is to safeguard vulnerable users, its rollout has unleashed a Pandora's box of new issues from privacy threats to loopholes in enforcement. Whether the legislation will remain as it is, be altered, or ultimately abolished is yet to be determined. But one thing is certain: the digital world in the UK and perhaps globally is being reordered on a massive scale.