Let me see some ID: age verification is spreading across the internet

Many social media platforms are now implementing age verification, often requiring an ID or facial scan to access features on services like YouTube and Roblox. This push for age-gating coincides with demands for improved online child safety, despite ongoing concerns about privacy, security, and potential censorship.

US legislators are advancing bills such as the App Store Accountability Act and Parents Over Platforms Act, aiming to make app stores responsible for user age verification.

Discord initially postponed its global age verification rollout until late 2026 following user opposition, though the plans remain active. This delay occurred after a vendor data breach last year exposed some user IDs. Concurrently, platforms like ChatGPT and Google are employing AI to detect and restrict accounts believed to belong to minors, requiring identity verification to confirm adult status.

Highlights

Apple’s new age verification tools block underage app downloads where required by law

Apple, similar to other companies, has introduced age verification features to comply with new regional age check mandates. The company recently detailed tools for developers to fulfill age assurance requirements under upcoming US and regional laws in areas like Brazil, Australia, Singapore, Utah, and Louisiana.

A significant update prevents users in Australia, Brazil, and Singapore from downloading 18-plus rated apps without age confirmation via “reasonable methods,” which the App Store can automate. Apple also stated that developers might have “separate obligations to independently confirm that their users are adults” and can utilize Apple’s Declared Age Range API, launched last year, to request user age range information.
Discord is delaying its global age verification rollout

Discord will not proceed with its global age verification rollout next month as initially planned. A blog post from the company indicates a delay until the latter half of 2026. Discord CTO Stanislav Vishnevskiy explained that the initial communication led many users to believe face scans and ID uploads would be universally required, acknowledging a failure in clearly explaining the process and its rationale.

Before a global age verification launch, Discord plans to introduce additional verification methods, such as credit card checks, and provide documentation for all verification vendors. The platform will also implement “spoiler channels” as an alternative to age-gated channels for sensitive content and release a technical blog post detailing its age estimation systems.
Discord distances itself from Persona age verification after user backlash

Discord is seeking to distance itself from Persona, an age verification provider, after significant user backlash. Savannah Badalich, Discord’s head of product policy, confirmed in a statement to The Verge that the company “ran a limited test of Persona in the UK where age assurance had previously launched and that test has since concluded.”

Following Discord’s announcement of plans to implement age verification globally, social media users criticized the platform, alleging misrepresentation regarding its approach to face scans and ID uploads. A significant portion of this criticism targeted Discord’s collaboration with Persona, a verification provider also utilized by Reddit and Roblox.
America desperately needs new privacy laws

In 1973, well before the digital age, the US Department of Health, Education, and Welfare (HEW) released a report titled “Records, Computers, and the Rights of Citizens.” The report’s foreword stated that networked computers appeared “destined to become the principal medium for making, storing, and using records about people,” as noted in its introduction. While these systems offered a “powerful management tool,” the report warned that a lack of legal safeguards could undermine the fundamental right to privacy, specifically an individual’s control over their personal information.
Discord says ‘vast majority’ of users won’t see its new age verification setup

Discord issued an update, explaining that most users will not need face scans or ID verification to access the platform without restrictions. The company indicated that “age prediction” based on existing account information would likely suffice for many.

If Discord’s age inference model cannot accurately determine a user’s age, video selfies or ID verification will still be required to confirm adult status. Users not verified as adults or identified as under 18 will experience a “teen-appropriate” version of the platform, with limitations such as restricted access to age-gated servers.
Discord’s age verification mandate is a leap toward a gated internet

Discord is set to require some users of its messaging app to either accept restricted features or verify their age. While platforms have gradually moved towards this, Discord’s “teen-by-default” rollout represents a more stringent measure, potentially foreshadowing a globally age-gated internet.

Beginning next month, users who do not verify their age via face scan or government ID will lose access to age-restricted servers and channels, be unable to speak in Discord’s “stage” channels, and encounter filters for graphic or sensitive content. Age checks can only be bypassed if Discord’s upcoming age inference model identifies the user as an adult. These regulations are a more stringent form of policies being adopted by many services, often in response to legal challenges and governmental mandates, even when the underlying technology is still developing.
Discord will require a face scan or ID for full access next month

Discord announced a global age verification rollout for its platform, starting next month. This initiative will automatically set all user accounts to a “teen-appropriate” experience unless users prove they are adults.

According to Savannah Badalich, Discord’s global head of product policy, most adults will not need age verification. Discord’s age inference model utilizes account tenure, device and activity data, and aggregated community patterns, explicitly avoiding private messages or message content in this process.
ChatGPT is using age prediction to restrict what minors see

OpenAI has incorporated age prediction features into ChatGPT to identify and enhance safeguards for underage users. These detection plans, first announced in December with updated guidelines for teen interactions, align with increasing age-gating initiatives across platforms like Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, and Roblox.

ChatGPT’s age prediction model analyzes behavioral and account-level data, including stated age, account age, activity times, and usage patterns. Users estimated to be under 18 will receive additional protections, limiting their exposure to sensitive content, such as:
Will you have to show your ID at the app store?

In the physical world, age verification for purchasing age-restricted items often involves presenting a driver’s license. Proponents of stricter online child protection have long advocated for a digital equivalent: online age verification. This concept faces unique challenges compared to its physical counterpart, such as the risk of data breaches, which could deter users from accessing legal content. A 2004 Supreme Court decision, Ashcroft v. ACLU, concluded that mandatory age verification on adult websites was not permissible, as lawmakers had not demonstrated the ineffectiveness of less restrictive options, such as parental content filters.
Roblox now requires an age check if you want to chat

Roblox is implementing its previously announced requirement for all users to undergo an age estimation process to access the platform’s chat features. This policy, announced in November 2025 and introduced in Australia, New Zealand, and the Netherlands in December, now prompts users in “all regions where chat is available” to complete an age check before chatting, as stated by Roblox.

Roblox utilizes Persona’s technology for its facial scan age verification, a system also employed by Reddit. Users can appeal age check results through ID verification, and parents have the option to update their child’s age via parental controls.
Meet the new tech laws of 2026

While 2025 saw significant congressional gridlock in the US, state legislatures were active in passing laws covering AI, social media, and the right to repair. Many of these new laws, along with previously enacted regulations, are scheduled to take effect in 2026.

Effective January 1st, new rights for Americans include crypto ATM refunds in Colorado, extensive electronics repair in Colorado and Washington, and AI system transparency in California. However, a recent court decision temporarily halted a prominent state law: Texas’ App Store-based age verification rule.
Judge blocks Texas app store age verification law

A federal judge issued a block on a Texas law that would have required mobile app stores to verify user ages, preventing it from taking effect on January 1st.

Granting a preliminary injunction against the Texas App Store Accountability Act (SB 2420), Judge Robert Pitman stated in his order that the statute resembles a law forcing bookstores to verify every customer’s age at entry, and for minors, to obtain parental consent both for entry and for book purchases. While Pitman has not yet ruled on the case’s full merits, his decision for the preliminary injunction suggests a low likelihood of the law’s proponents succeeding in court.
Australia boots kids under 16 off social media: how platforms are responding

Australia is among several governments globally regulating children’s online activity. Effective December 10th, most major social media platforms will remove users under 16 in the country. The law also mandates that social platforms implement a “reasonable” age verification method, though critics suggest children will still find ways to circumvent it.

These changes originate from Australia’s Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Bill, enacted in November 2024. This legislation significantly impacts Australian youth and offers a glimpse into policies being considered elsewhere. The following outlines the new law’s implications and its effects on various platforms.
Welcome to the ‘papers, please’ internet

In 2018, two years after the UK government mandated strict age gates for adult websites, a concept known as the “porn pass” was proposed. This physical card, acquired by presenting ID at a retail store, would contain authentication data. It was intended as a low-tech anonymization method, allowing online age verification without directly inputting personal details.
Here’s how Apple is locking down iPhones to comply with Texas’ age verification law

Beginning next year, Texas will mandate that companies like Apple and Google verify the ages of app store users. Apple recently outlined its compliance strategy: from January 1st, 2026, new Apple Account creators must confirm they are over 18, and users under 18 must join a Family Sharing group. Parental or guardian consent will also be necessary for minors to download apps or make in-app purchases.

Developers will also need to adapt to the new law. Apple currently provides a Declared Age Range API, which developers can use to inquire about a user’s general age. This API “will be updated in the coming months to provide the required age categories for new account users in Texas,” according to Apple. Additionally, Apple plans to release new APIs “later this year” that will “enable developers, when they determine a significant change is made to their app, to invoke a system experience to allow the user to request that parental consent be re-obtained.”
Bluesky brings age verification to South Dakota and Wyoming

Bluesky will implement age verification for users in South Dakota and Wyoming to adhere to state online safety laws. The platform announced that users in these states can verify their age using an ID, payment card, or alternative methods.

Similar to its UK age verification rollout, Bluesky will conduct age checks via Epic Games’ Kids Web Services (KWS), a tool enabling developers to integrate age verification and parental controls into their platforms.
Mastodon can’t comply with Mississippi’s age verification laws.

Bluesky previously blocked users in Mississippi due to the state’s age verification law. Mastodon has now informed TechCrunch that it lacks the resources to comply, casting uncertainty on its presence in Mississippi and other states considering similar age verification legislation.

Mastodon says it doesn’t ‘have the means’ to comply with age verification laws | TechCrunch

[TechCrunch]
Steam users in the UK will need a credit card to access ‘mature content’ games

Valve has begun complying with the UK’s Online Safety Act by implementing a new requirement for UK users to verify their age with a credit card to access “mature content” pages and games on Steam. Access to community hubs for mature content games will also be restricted unless a valid credit card is linked to a Steam account.

Unlike platforms such as Reddit, Bluesky, and Discord, which have chosen selfie-based age verification, Valve is limiting its age checks solely to credit cards, as per a support article. Valve states that this method “preserves the maximum degree of user privacy” among all reviewed age assurance mechanisms. Storing a credit card as a payment method also serves as an additional deterrent against bypassing age verification by sharing a single Steam account.
Bluesky blocks Mississippi under new age verification law

Bluesky will restrict access from Mississippi IP addresses due to a new state law mandating age verification and parental consent for underage users. This decision, detailed in a blog post, will remain in effect pending court rulings on the law’s legality.

The blog post states that “Mississippi’s approach would fundamentally change how users access Bluesky,” differing from regulations like the UK’s Online Safety Act, which Bluesky complies with. The law, HB 1126, “would block everyone from accessing the site — teens and adults — unless they hand over sensitive information, and once they do, the law in Mississippi requires Bluesky to keep track of which users are children.” In contrast, UK users are only restricted from direct messages and sensitive content without third-party verification. The post also noted that “Building the required verification systems, parental consent workflows, and compliance infrastructure would require significant resources that [the] small team is currently unable to spare as [it] invest[s] in developing safety tools and features for [its] global community, particularly given the law’s broad scope and privacy implications.”
Supreme Court opens door to social media age-gating in US

The Supreme Court has allowed Mississippi’s social media age verification law to take effect while its legality is being debated. In an unsigned ruling issued on Thursday, the court rejected an emergency petition from the trade association NetChoice. The order provided no explanation, though Justice Brett Kavanaugh, in a concurring opinion, suggested the law was “likely unconstitutional” but stated that NetChoice had not “sufficiently demonstrated” a risk of harm.

The law, HB 1126, mandates that social media platforms verify the age of account creators and block users under 18 unless parental permission is granted. It further requires social media sites to safeguard underage users from “harmful material,” including sexual content and self-harm-related material, and to limit data collection.
Google is using AI age checks to lock down user accounts

Google is expanding its application of AI age estimation technology. Following earlier plans to identify and restrict underage YouTube users, the company now states it will begin detecting if US-based Google users are under 18.

The age estimation feature will be gradually introduced over the coming weeks, initially affecting a limited number of users, with broader expansion planned. Google indicated that it would use search history and YouTube video viewing patterns to determine user age. This initiative was first announced by Google in February.
Ready or not, age verification is rolling out across the internet

On July 25th, the UK became one of the first nations to widely implement age verification. The Online Safety Act mandates that platforms hosting adult content and other “harmful” material, such as Reddit, Discord, Grindr, X, and Bluesky, verify users are over 18. Initial implementation has been turbulent; while some services complied, others withdrew from the country due to risks and costs. Users have also circumvented verification tools with VPNs. This scenario offers a preview of challenges other countries may encounter with their own systems, a situation privacy and security experts have long cautioned against, with limited impact.

After years of political efforts to enhance online child safety, age verification is now being implemented across global online platforms. Legislators in the US, Europe, Australia, and other regions have enacted age-gating regulations, and platforms are beginning to comply. Verification methods typically mirror those in the UK: users are asked to provide a payment card, upload a government ID, take a selfie, or permit the platform to use data (such as account creation dates and user connections) to “estimate” their age. Most platforms utilize third-party services; for instance, Bluesky employs Epic Games’ Kids Web Services, Reddit partners with Persona, and Discord collaborates with k-ID.
Microsoft starts rolling out Xbox age verification in the UK

Microsoft has begun complying with the UK’s Online Safety Act by introducing age verification prompts for Xbox players. These prompts appear for UK Xbox users who state they are over 18 when signing into their accounts. Microsoft also indicated it is considering similar age verification tools for other countries.

Microsoft has partnered with Yoti for UK age verification, a service that has not been susceptible to the Death Stranding photo mode bypass. Currently optional, these age verification checks will become mandatory for accessing various Xbox services in early 2026, coinciding with the enforcement of additional provisions of the UK’s Online Safety Act.
Reddit and Discord’s UK age verification can be defeated by Death Stranding’s photo mode

The UK’s new online safety regulations began enforcement on Friday, requiring various platforms to implement mandatory age verification for UK users. While it was already known that these age-gating checks could be circumvented with a VPN, it has since been discovered that face scanning tools used by platforms like Reddit and Discord can also be easily bypassed using Death Stranding’s photo mode.

Dany Sterkhov revealed the Death Stranding bypass on Friday, leading gamers to use the game’s photo mode and character Sam Bridges to trick face scanning verification tools into recognizing them as adults. The method involves pointing a phone at a monitor displaying Death Stranding, activating in-game photo mode, and positioning Sam to face the camera.
Roblox will require a facial scan or government ID to have unfiltered chats

Roblox is implementing a new feature that allows trusted friends to chat more freely, but this will necessitate using an age estimation tool to confirm users are over 13.

The platform is rebranding “Friends” to “Connections.” Unfiltered text chat and the Party social feature will only be available within a more exclusive group called “Trusted Connections.” According to spokesperson Juliet Chaitin-Lefcourt, “inappropriate language like ‘butt-head’ and personally identifiable information are not filtered” within Trusted Connections.