- Research by Internet Matters indicates that over a third of children in the UK have successfully bypassed online age verification measures, which are mandated by the Online Safety Act for social media, gaming, and pornographic platforms.
- Children are employing various methods to circumvent these checks, including using fake birthdays and even drawing on facial hair, with one mother reporting her son used an eyebrow pencil to appear older; additionally, one in six parents admitted to assisting their children in bypassing these age gates.
- The report highlights that nearly half of UK children surveyed believe age verification checks are easy to bypass, and 32 per cent confirmed they have done so, while 49 per cent reported encountering harmful content online recently.
- Internet Matters urged the government to ensure the proper enforcement of existing legislation, hold both regulators and platforms accountable for compliance, and promptly address any gaps in the law to better protect children online.
- Both the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology and Ofcom have affirmed the Online Safety Act's clear demands for platforms to protect children, with Ofcom stating it will use its enforcement powers against non-compliant companies, as the government also consults on potential age curbs and limitations for under-16s on social media.
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