Reddit launches mandatory UK age verification under the Online Safety Act

In July 2025, Reddit began requiring users in the United Kingdom to verify their age to access certain content, complying with the child-protection duties of the UK Online Safety Act. Reddit contracted the third-party vendor Persona to perform checks using a photo of a government-issued ID or a selfie, and said it would retain only a user's verification status and date of birth rather than the underlying images.

The rollout drew criticism after numerous communities, including LGBTQ+, health-support, and news subreddits, were placed behind age gates, prompting a large public petition and a reported surge in the use of virtual private networks to bypass the checks. The episode illustrated the practical friction of complying with the Act and the difficulty of drawing precise lines around restricted content.