As of 25 July 2025, under the UK’s Online Safety Act 2023, Ofcom now mandates that all websites and apps accessible in the UK hosting adult or harmful content provide strong, “highly effective” age verification to prevent access by minors.

1. Legal Foundation & Timeline: The Online Safety Act received Royal Assent on 26 October 2023. Age verification duties for providers of pornographic content came into force on 17 January 2025 (Part 5 services), and Ofcom began enforcement from 25 July 2025, at which point self-declaration tick-boxes are no longer acceptable. :contentReference[oaicite:1]{index=1}

2. Who Must Comply: Any platform accessible to UK users that publishes or hosts pornography, self-harm, suicide, or eating disorder content must implement age checks. This includes social media services such as Reddit, Bluesky, X (formerly Twitter), Discord, and dating apps offering adult content. :contentReference[oaicite:2]{index=2}

3. What “Highly Effective” Means: Ofcom’s guidance (Jan 2025) requires age assurance systems to be technically accurate, robust, reliable, and fair. Acceptable methods include AI-based facial age estimation, government ID uploads, credit card or open banking checks, email-based estimation, or mobile network operator verification. :contentReference[oaicite:3]{index=3}

4. Enforcement & Penalties: From 25 July 2025, Ofcom entered active enforcement. Non-compliant platforms may face fines up to £18 million or 10 percent of global turnover, and could be subject to blocking or business disruption orders. :contentReference[oaicite:4]{index=4}

5. Responses, Risks & Workarounds: The rules triggered widespread privacy concerns and a surge in VPN use—Proton VPN saw sign-ups increase by up to 1,800 percent—by users attempting to evade UK age gates. Critics warn of surveillance risks and reduced anonymity. Ofcom discourages VPN-based evasion and states platforms must not promote it. :contentReference[oaicite:5]{index=5}