Reddit users in the United Kingdom will now be blocked from accessing “certain mature content” unless they pass the platform’s new age verification procedure. On Monday, Reddit announced that UK users will be required to upload a selfie or photo of their government ID to view content that is restricted to those under 18 under the Online Safety Act (OSA), including offensive, violent and sexually explicit material.
The age verification process is carried out by a third-party provider, Persona, which will not have access to Reddit’s user data and will not store photos for longer than seven days. Reddit states that it will also not have access to uploaded photos and will only store birth dates and verification statuses so that users do not need to re-verify their account. This morning I managed to complete the process myself, taking a selfie in less than a minute, although the photo tool had some difficulty determining the correct framing of my face.
“Reddit was built on the principle that you don’t have to share personal information to engage in meaningful discussions,” Reddit said in a statement. “While we still don’t want to know who you are on Reddit, there are definitely situations where it would be helpful for us to know a little more about you.”
Reddit noted that “a growing number of jurisdictions” have passed or are considering laws requiring online platforms to verify the age of their users. In this regard, the platform says it is also introducing a global option for users to provide their date of birth “to help ensure that content and advertising is age-appropriate” and may introduce age verification requirements in other regions.
More information about the verification process can be found here. A list of content categories restricted for minors – some of which may be considered subjective, such as content that “romanticizes” depression, hopelessness, and despair – can also be found here.
Similar to the similar age verification introduced last week on Bluesky, the age verification mandate on Reddit is being implemented to comply with OSA regulations that require online platforms to take measures to protect children from viewing harmful and age-inappropriate content by July 25. According to a report published by the UK communications regulator Ofcom last year, Reddit was the fastest growing major social media platform in the UK in 2024, with adult user reach increasing by 47 percent year-on-year.
“The UK’s online safety regulations are coming into force and change is happening. Society has long protected young people from products that are not suitable for them, from alcohol to smoking or gambling,” Ofcom said in a statement to The Verge. “Children will now be better protected from online material that is inappropriate for them, while adults’ rights to access legitimate content will be preserved. We expect other companies to follow suit, or face enforcement action if they do not.”
The report also mentions that Reddit “would like to be able to confirm” whether users are human or not in the new era of artificial intelligence. Reddit said it would “announce more on this later,” suggesting that the platform plans to crack down on AI bot accounts.
