Reddit is rolling out age verification in the UK

Reddit users successful the United Kingdom volition present beryllium blocked from accessing “certain mature content” unless they implicit the platform’s caller property verification process. Reddit announced connected Monday that UK users volition request to upload a selfie oregon a photograph of their authorities ID successful bid to presumption contented that’s restricted for under-18s by the UK Online Safety Act (OSA), including abusive, violent, and sexually explicit materials.

The property verification process is performed by Persona, a third-party supplier that won’t person entree to users’ Reddit information oregon clasp photos for longer than 7 days. Reddit says it besides won’t person entree to uploaded photos, and that it volition lone store birthdates and verification statuses truthful that users don’t request to re-verify their account. I managed to implicit the process myself this greeting utilizing a selfie successful nether a minute, though the photograph instrumentality had immoderate trouble detecting erstwhile my look was correctly framed.

“Reddit was built connected the rule that you shouldn’t request to stock idiosyncratic accusation to enactment successful meaningful discussions,” Reddit said successful its announcement. “While we inactive don’t privation to cognize who you are connected Reddit, determination are surely situations wherever it would beryllium adjuvant if we knew a small much astir you.”

Reddit noted that determination is simply a “growing fig of jurisdictions” that person passed oregon are considering laws that necessitate online platforms to verify the ages of their users. As such, the level says it’s besides introducing a planetary enactment for users to supply their birthdate “to assistance guarantee that contented and ads are age-appropriate,” and whitethorn rotation retired property verification requirements successful different regions.

More accusation astir the verification process can beryllium recovered here. A database of contented categories that are restricted to minors — immoderate of which could beryllium considered subjective, specified arsenic contented that “romanticizes” depression, hopelessness, and despair — tin also beryllium recovered here.

Like a similar property cheque introduced connected Bluesky past week, Reddit’s property verification mandate is being introduced to comply with rules nether the OSA that necessitate online platforms to instrumentality measures that support children from seeing harmful and age-inappropriate contented by July 25th. According to a report published by British communications regulator Ofcom past year, Reddit was the fastest-growing ample societal media level successful the UK successful 2024, experiencing a 47 percent year-on-year summation successful scope for big users.

“The UK’s online information rules are coming into unit and alteration is happening. Society has agelong protected youngsters from products that aren’t suitable for them, from intoxicant to smoking oregon gambling,” Ofcom said successful a connection to The Verge. “Now, children volition beryllium amended protected from online worldly that’s not due for them, portion adults’ rights to entree ineligible contented are preserved. We expect different companies to travel suit, oregon look enforcement if they neglect to act.”

The announcement besides mentioned Reddit “would similar to beryllium able” to corroborate whether users are quality oregon not successful the caller property of AI. Reddit said that it has “more to travel astir that later,” suggesting the level is readying to crack down connected AI bot accounts.