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Time of India
9 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
How this popular game is helping UK gamers bypass new age verification laws
(Image via Kojima) Gamers in the UK have reportedly discovered a method to bypass online age verification checks, which have now been mandated in the country on some websites, by using a popular video game. Recently, a user on the social media platform X (earlier Twitter) named Dany Sterkhov claimed to have bypassed Discord's age verification by using the photo mode in the video game Death Stranding . This discovery comes just days after the country started enforcing the Online Safety Act, a set of laws passed in 2023. These laws aim to prevent children from accessing pornography or other content deemed "harmful," including material related to self-harm, suicide, and eating disorders. Companies failing to comply with the new regulations face potential fines of up to 18 million pounds ($24.2 million) or 10% of their global revenue, whichever amount is greater. According to the U.K.'s media regulator, Ofcom , platforms such as Bluesky, Discord, Grindr, Reddit, and X have already committed to implementing age verification systems. In a recent statement, Ofcom executive chief Dame Melanie Dawes said: 'Prioritising clicks and engagement over children's online safety will no longer be tolerated in the UK. Our message to tech firms is clear – comply with age-checks and other protection measures set out in our Codes, or face the consequences of enforcement action from Ofcom.' by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Kate Middleton Dared To Wear This Outfit And It Took Prince William's Breath Away Crowdy Fan Undo How gamers are bypassing age verification laws in UK Several companies depend on third-party services to conduct age verification. These systems usually allow users to either upload a government-issued photo ID or submit selfies for verification. Discord uses a service called k-ID. According to a report by The Verge, users were able to complete the process by using the photo mode in Death Stranding, pointing their phone at the screen to scan the face of the game's main character, Sam Bridges. The system prompted them to open and close his mouth—something the game allowed him to replicate. The report added that the same approach worked with Reddit's age verification system, which Persona manages. However, it was unsuccessful with Bluesky's verification process, which relies on a platform called Yoti. In the US, nearly half the states have passed laws requiring similar age checks for access to adult content. Additionally, nine states have implemented laws mandating parental consent or age verification for users on social media platforms. Attempts to bypass these systems weren't limited to gamers using Death Stranding. ProtonVPN shared on X that it experienced a more than 1,400% increase in sign-ups in the UK following the introduction of age verification rules. VPNs allow users to browse as though they are in a different region, making it easier to get around local age restrictions. iQOO Z10R 5G goes on Sale: BEST Budget Phone for Content Creators? AI Masterclass for Students. Upskill Young Ones Today!– Join Now
The Irish Sun
17 hours ago
- Politics
- The Irish Sun
VPN downloads surge as UK age-check rules block adult sites – & Government reveals whether ‘privacy apps' will be BANNED
A BAN on VPNs used to get around porn age verification checks has been ruled out. VPN apps have skyrocketed since the 3 Popular sites like Pornhub now require a selfie or ID to check you're over 18 Credit: Getty 3 VPNs have surged to the top of the App Store chart since the rules came into force Credit: Getty 3 Tech Secretary Peter Kyle says adults should get behind the new system to protect kids Credit: Getty It's designed to protect children from harmful material and is enforced by the media regulator Ofcom . The tool is a common and legal way to disguise your location online for privacy. Any sites hosting adult content must now check people's age by asking for their ID in a similar way to buying booze in the real world, or sharing a selfie which estimates how old you are. Some users have resorted to using VPNs as a loophole, over concerns about sharing their personal data. Read more about ofcom VPN apps have dominated the top of the Apple App Store since the rules kicked in on Friday. But there have been questions about whether they could be banned as a result. Tech Secretary Peter Kyle has revealed that the Government is "not considering a VPN ban". Pointing to 6.2 million downloads of age verification software Yoti, he told Times Radio there were 'far more people who are actually there to prove their age in a legitimate way'. Most read in Tech "So you will find a small number of people who will use VPNs, most of them will be adults themselves," he said. "But you will see now moving forward, a new online experience for children and parents. Big changes come to PornHub and a dozen other XXX sites "They will notice the difference. "It is the biggest step forward in safety since the invention of the internet. "When it comes to children, that is something we celebrate. "Adults should get behind the aid verification system, because every time they do it, you keep a child safe." The Labour minister also sparked a blazing row with Nigel Farage, alleging the Reform Party leader's vow to repeal online safety laws amounts to backing predators gaining access to children. Some 6,000 porn sites started age checks on Friday. Those that don't comply could be fined or banned completely from the UK. THE SHOCKING STATS Latest figures show the scale of adult content consumption online... Ofcom stats: Around 8% children aged 8-14 in the UK visited an online porn site or app in a month. 15% of 13–14-year-olds accessed online porn in a month. Boys aged 13-14 are the most likely to visit a porn service, significantly more than girls the same age (19% vs 11%). Our research tells us that around three in ten (29%) or 13.8m UK adults use porn online. Pornhub is the most used site in the UK – Ofcom research says 18% (8.4m) visited it in one month. Children's Commissioner stats: Of the 64% who said that they had ever seen online pornography: The average age at which children first see pornography is 13 . By age nine, 10% had seen pornography, 27% had seen it by age 11 and half of children who had seen pornography had seen it by age 13. We also find that young people are frequently exposed to violent pornography, depicting coercive, degrading or pain-inducing sex acts; 79% had encountered violent pornography before the age of 18 . Pornography is not confined to dedicated adult sites. We found that Twitter was the online platform where young people were most likely to have seen pornography. Image credit: Getty
The Sun
17 hours ago
- Politics
- The Sun
VPN downloads surge as UK age-check rules block adult sites – & Government reveals whether ‘privacy apps' will be BANNED
A BAN on VPNs used to get around porn age verification checks has been ruled out. VPN apps have skyrocketed since the Online Safety Act came into effect last week. 3 3 It's designed to protect children from harmful material and is enforced by the media regulator Ofcom. The tool is a common and legal way to disguise your location online for privacy. Any sites hosting adult content must now check people's age by asking for their ID in a similar way to buying booze in the real world, or sharing a selfie which estimates how old you are. Some users have resorted to using VPNs as a loophole, over concerns about sharing their personal data. VPN apps have dominated the top of the Apple App Store since the rules kicked in on Friday. But there have been questions about whether they could be banned as a result. Tech Secretary Peter Kyle has revealed that the Government is "not considering a VPN ban". Pointing to 6.2 million downloads of age verification software Yoti, he told Times Radio there were 'far more people who are actually there to prove their age in a legitimate way'. "So you will find a small number of people who will use VPNs, most of them will be adults themselves," he said. "But you will see now moving forward, a new online experience for children and parents. Big changes come to PornHub and a dozen other XXX sites "They will notice the difference. "It is the biggest step forward in safety since the invention of the internet. "When it comes to children, that is something we celebrate. "Adults should get behind the aid verification system, because every time they do it, you keep a child safe." The Labour minister also sparked a blazing row with Nigel Farage, alleging the Reform Party leader's vow to repeal online safety laws amounts to backing predators gaining access to children. Some 6,000 porn sites started age checks on Friday. Those that don't comply could be fined or banned completely from the UK. THE SHOCKING STATS Latest figures show the scale of adult content consumption online... Ofcom stats: Around 8% children aged 8-14 in the UK visited an online porn site or app in a month. 15% of 13–14-year-olds accessed online porn in a month. Boys aged 13-14 are the most likely to visit a porn service, significantly more than girls the same age (19% vs 11%). Our research tells us that around three in ten (29%) or 13.8m UK adults use porn online. Pornhub is the most used site in the UK – Ofcom research says 18% (8.4m) visited it in one month. Children's Commissioner stats: Of the 64% who said that they had ever seen online pornography: The average age at which children first see pornography is 13. By age nine, 10% had seen pornography, 27% had seen it by age 11 and half of children who had seen pornography had seen it by age 13. We also find that young people are frequently exposed to violent pornography, depicting coercive, degrading or pain-inducing sex acts; 79% had encountered violent pornography before the age of 18. Pornography is not confined to dedicated adult sites. We found that Twitter was the online platform where young people were most likely to have seen pornography. Image credit: Getty
Express Tribune
20 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
Death Stranding 2 can now be used to bypass age verification after Online Safety Act: here's how
A recent discovery has revealed that Death Stranding's photo mode can easily bypass the UK's newly enforced age verification systems, affecting platforms like Reddit and Discord. This follows the implementation of the UK's online safety regulations, which began requiring age checks on various sites from Friday, July 25. According to The Verge, the trick was first brought to light by Dany Sterkhov, who shared the method of using Death Stranding's in-game photo mode to bypass facial scanning systems. By activating the photo mode and pointing a phone camera at the screen, users can use Sam Bridges, the game's protagonist, to fool age verification tools into believing the user is an adult. Users have been sharing their demonstrations online. You can use Death Stranding's photo mode to bypass Discord's age verification — Dany Sterkhov 🛡✈ (@DanySterkhov) July 25, 2025 Both Reddit and Discord, which use the Persona and k-ID facial recognition services, were tricked by this method. Users on Discord were prompted to open and close Sam's mouth, while Reddit's Persona service requested users to move Sam's face, both actions successfully passing verification. Interestingly, the trick was not effective on Bluesky, which uses Yoti's facial estimation technology. Yoti has also partnered with Instagram to use similar age verification tools. Despite this limitation, the Death Stranding photo mode bypass offers a simple way to access age-restricted content without resorting to VPNs or sharing personal information like credit card details. People in the UK are using Norman Reedus' highly detailed face from Death Stranding to get past newly imposed age restrictions He looks so real that it tricks the photo ID system — Dexerto (@Dexerto) July 26, 2025 This bypass could be particularly appealing for users who want to avoid sharing sensitive information with third parties while still complying with age verification requirements. While the method provides a potential shortcut for adults looking to bypass age restrictions, it underscores ongoing concerns about the efficacy and privacy implications of AI-driven systems in today's digital landscape.
The Verge
a day ago
- The Verge
Microsoft starts rolling out Xbox age verification in the UK
Microsoft is starting to comply with the UK's Online Safety Act by prompting Xbox players to verify their age today. The prompts will be shown to Xbox players who indicate they're over the age of 18 and will be shown when you sign into an Xbox account in the UK. Microsoft says it's also exploring bringing similar age verification tools to other countries in the future. To power the age verification in the UK, Microsoft is partnering with Yoti, which is one of the services that hasn't fallen victim to the Death Stranding photo mode bypass. While the age verification checks are optional right now, they will become a requirement to access a variety of Xbox services in early 2026, when additional parts of the UK's Online Safety Act come into force. 'Starting early next year, age verification will be required for these players in the UK to retain full access to social features on Xbox, such as voice or text communication and game invites,' explains Kim Kunes, vice president of gaming trust and safety at Xbox. If you don't verify your age between now and early next year, social features 'will become limited to friends only' until the age verification process has been completed. 'Whether a player verifies their age will not affect any previous purchases, entitlements, gameplay history, achievements, or the ability to play and purchase games, however we encourage players to verify their age via this one-time process now to avoid uninterrupted use of social features on Xbox in the future,' Kunes says. While this is limited to Xbox players in the UK right now, Kunes says, 'We expect to roll out age verification processes to more regions in the future.' Microsoft isn't revealing which other regions will get similar age verification requirements, but Kunes does note that 'these methods may look different across regions and experiences.' If you're in the UK, then you can verify your age for your Xbox account online through Microsoft, where you can use a selfie, a scan of your passport or driver's license, a credit card check, or a mobile number. Posts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All by Tom Warren Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All Gaming Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All Microsoft Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All News Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All Policy Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All Privacy Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All Tech Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All Xbox
