If you’re in the UK, you need to be ready to prove you’re over 18 to access numerous websites and online platforms.
From Friday, July 25, mandatory age verification requirements became the latest implementation of the 2023 Online Safety Act – a move already amassing strong criticism, with over 420,000 Brits calling to repeal the Act.
Besides the more than 6,000 websites displaying adult-only content, many other platforms are now shielding minors from accessing potentially harmful content. Here are the 10 biggest websites requiring these checks, some of which you may not expect.
1. Spotify
Popular music streaming service Spotify is perhaps the last platform you’d expect to require UK age checks.
Yet, “You may be presented with an age check when you try to access certain age restricted content, like music videos tagged 18+,” explains Spotify in an official announcement.
To do so, Spotify partnered with the digital identity company, Yoti. Users are now required to do one of two verification methods, either submitting a face scan to allow an age estimation, or alternatively uploading a photo of a valid ID document.
Should the age estimation flag that you are potentially underage, you can then submit an ID document to prove otherwise. However, failing to submit a valid ID document will see your account deactivated for 90 days, and deleted entirely should you take no action to verify your age within 7 days of reactivation.
I can’t believe Spotify now requires age verification. Today it’s music, tomorrow it could be books, films, or even news articles. It’s the first step into a dystopian reality we’ve seen in movies, where access to culture is gated by surveillance and the illusion of security. https://t.co/AVhZniLW7wJuly 30, 2025
2. Reddit
Popular online forum platform ريديت is another impacted site. Previously known for being more accommodating to anonymous users than other social media sites, the platform introduced enforced age checks in the UK from July 14, ahead of the deadline.
Users now must prove they are 18 to access posts or subreddit groups deemed harmful by either taking a selfie or sending a photo of their passport. Reddit has released more details surrounding the subreddits impacted, though users have noted several topics which seem to have been caught in the crossfire
Crucially, communities supporting mental health or sharing news about ongoing conflicts have been caught up in these age checks, raising the alarm about the negative impact this will have on free speech and access to critical information.
3. Grindr
Grindr is one of the dating apps that has already implemented mandatory age verification requirements –and more dating services are expected to follow suit.
ال provider assures to have “designed Grindr’s new age check to prioritize privacy and safety while making the experience as straightforward as possible.” Grindr is utilizing biometric verification technology from Facetec, though will independently process all use data.
A one-time process, users can either complete a quick video selfie or pair a video selfie with an official photo ID to prove you’re at least 18 and keep using the service.
4. Xbox
Microsoft has also introduced age checks for its Xbox users in the UK.
British players should have received a notification to verify their age, either via facial age estimation, ID verification, mobile provider, or credit card checks.
While this is optional at the time of writing, it will change starting from early 2026. “Access to certain social features will be limited to friends only unless age verification is complete,” Xbox support explains in a blog post.
5. X
People in the UK using X have likely come across age verification requests to access certain social media posts over the past week.
While failing to prove your age won’t affect the ability to access your account, you “may be defaulted into sensitive media settings, and may not be able to access sensitive media,” X explains.
Users have so far lamented issues with the X age verification system, which is yet to be fully rolled out. Something that prompted Elon Musk to ensure the team is “working on this.”
Among the complaints, some users are also reporting being blocked behind a paywall when trying to verify their age.
Hey @Support why is age verification on X locked behind a paywall? I’m being blocked from seeing posts and replies unless I PAY to verify my ID? If age checks are legally required they should be FREE for all users This is exploitative and needs fixing#AgeVerification @ICCLtweet pic.twitter.com/PYC9g8VWHQJuly 26, 2025
6. Bluesky
Bluesky, widely considered an X alternative, has also enforced age checks to comply with the UK’s new rules.
Users can either choose between a face scan or a credit card check to prove they are not minors.
As the provider explains, “For people who are under 18 or don’t want to go through this process, we’ll make adult-appropriate content inaccessible, and we’ll disable features like direct messaging.”
7. Discord
The leading messaging app for gamers, Discord, has also introduced some changes to comply with new Online Safety Act rules.
All new UK and existing users are now automatically filtered out from potentially harmful content. To access this material, they need to go through a one-time process to verify they’re at least 18 via either a face or ID scan.
The British Discord community has already reportedly found a way to bypass these checks by using Death Stranding’s photo mode. A workaround that the provider seems to be starting to catch up with.
I just saw this on Discord now 💀 pic.twitter.com/e78aUMmtESJuly 30, 2025
8. Nexus Mods
Nexus Mods is a popular website for gamers, hosting game modifications and other user-created content about the world of video games. Now, it’s the latest platform set to require UK users to verify their age.
As the provider explains in a blog post, ” we’ll be making some changes to how things work on Nexus Mods in regards to Adult content, child safety online, and our ongoing commitment to remove illegal content,” under new UK and EU laws.
Age checks aren’t exclusive to the UK, these requirements are also set to land in the EU – with five European countries currently testing a new age verification app.
9. Roblox
Unsurprisingly, perhaps, Roblox has enforced an age verification system ahead of the new UK rules.
An online game platform and game creation system, Roblox is very popular amongst teens and young adults alike.
“Currently, features like Party Voice and chat without filters with Trusted Connections require age checks. Over time, more features will be added that utilize age checks,” reads the Roblox support page.
10. Wikipedia?
Wikipedia could also become one of the many websites in the UK to require mandatory age checks.
The non-profit behind it, Wikimedia Foundation, however, is currently legally challenging the Online Safety Act’s new rules. Crucially, Wikimedia worries that imposing ID verification requirements on anonymous volunteer moderators would end up undermining their privacy.
“We are taking action now to protect Wikipedia’s volunteers, as well as the global accessibility and integrity of free knowledge. We call on the Court to defend the privacy and safety of Wikipedia’s volunteer contributors from flawed legislation,” said Phil Bradley-Schmieg, Lead Counsel at the Wikimedia Foundation, in an official statement.
Age verification: what are the risks?
The new age verification requirements are aimed at stopping children and adults from accessing dangerous content online, with the strongest protections designed to protect children.
However, these age checks also present significant privacy and security risks, with even unintended implications for other digital rights like free speech and access to information.
You indeed have to trust that the service providers will take care of your data – something that isn’t always possible, as the recent Tea app hack shows. A data breach could expose millions of Brits to identity fraud and other dangers.
Similarly, some experts argue that getting rid of online anonymity could lead to higher surveillance by leaving such data access vulnerable to abuse.
Others fear the new rules could lead to higher censorship, as platforms are now required to delete or block all content defined as harmful.
How to protect your online data
Despite supporting the goals of the Online Safety Act, we understand that Brits may have concerns about handing out their most sensitive data to an unknown third-party service.
Using a virtual private network (VPN) is currently a secure and legal way to secure your data during verification checks in the UK.
You should nevertheless bear in mind that not all VPNs are trustworthy, though. If not chosen carefully, free VPNs, in particular, tend to have fewer privacy and security credentials.
Still, if you’re looking for a free VPN, Proton VPN Free is the best we’ve tested from a privacy and security perspective.
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