Reddit rolls out age verification in the UK to comply with new law

Reddit has begun requiring UK users to verify their age to access certain mature content. This change, effective July 14, comes in response to the UK’s new Online Safety Act, which mandates platforms to prevent children from seeing age-inappropriate material.

To verify age, Reddit is partnering with Persona, a third-party provider. Users can confirm their age through a selfie or a photo of a government ID. Reddit stated it will not store these photos. It will only keep a record of the user’s verified status and birthdate to avoid repeated checks. Persona has also promised to delete the photos within seven days and will not access other Reddit data, like visited subreddits.

This change is quite the 180-degree turn for the platform, which historically prioritized user anonymity. While Reddit still says that it will protect user privacy, it acknowledges the need to comply with evolving regulations. The new UK law, set to be fully enforced on July 25, applies broadly to social media sites. Regulators like Ofcom expect other companies to follow suit. Failure to comply could lead to significant fines.

The types of content affected by this new age verification include sexually explicit material and other content restricted by the UK Online Safety Act. This can encompass content promoting self-harm, hate speech, violence, or dangerous stunts. The implementation has sparked discussions among users and moderators alike, with some questioning the practicality for moderators handling NSFW content in SFW subreddits.

Reddit has indicated that as laws continue to change, it may need to implement similar age verification measures in other countries. For users outside the UK, Reddit is also introducing an optional feature to provide a birthdate, aiming to optimize their experience by ensuring age-appropriate content and advertisements. The company reassures users that their birthdate will never be visible to other users or advertisers.

Either way, feel free to share your thoughts on the announcement in the comments below.