Age verification in the UK is now in force, triggering chaos, website blocks and VPN surge

With the entry into force of the Online Safety Act on July 25, 2025, the UK ushered in a new era of digital control. What was introduced under the guise of child protection is proving to be a frontal assault on privacy, freedom of expression, and open access to the internet for millions of users. Mandatory age verification on platforms such as virtual communication networks, games, and even forums is met with widespread rejection – and is now provoking massive civil society resistance.

The law requires providers to verify their users’ ages through identity verification. Whether it’s a facial scan, a copy of an ID card, or bank details – anyone who doesn’t disclose their data loses access. Officially, this is intended to prevent minors from accessing “dangerous content.” However, the technical implementation is not only unsafe but disproportionate. Platforms are liable for violations with hefty fines, leading many to block British users entirely. Many platforms block British IP addresses to avoid liability risks.

But the internet isn’t silent. Within days of the law coming into force, numerous groups have formed on Reddit, Mastodon, Telegram, and alternative forums to oppose the new rules. Under the hashtag #NoIDNoNet, thousands of users are forming digital protest movements. They are documenting how they are outsmarting the systems using VPNs, modified browsers, or technical tricks – less out of the intention of consuming content, but rather as a conscious rebellion against state-enforced online identity verification.

One Reddit user writes: “I’m 37, I pay my taxes, and I still refuse to send my passport to a private company just to post a meme.” Another reports that his account on X was deactivated because he refused to verify his age: “I haven’t done anything illegal – I’m just not ready to hand over my biometric data to a black box.”

Organizations such as the Open Rights Group and Privacy International are also calling for civil disobedience. They are offering legal advice, launching information campaigns, and demanding a moratorium until the legal framework is revised. Discussion groups are emerging in universities and schools on the question of how far a democratic state can go in protecting its citizens before becoming a digital oversight authority.

Activist groups speak of digital discrimination: Anyone without a passport or unwilling to show it for good reasons is no longer welcome on the internet.

The reactions of providers demonstrate the seriousness of the situation. Many smaller platforms have completely shut down their services for UK users, while larger platforms like Reddit and X are massively restricting features. Discord experimented with automated facial scans – only to discover that they are easily fooled. The result: a digital patchwork of blockages, frustration, and mistrust.

The British initiative is also being viewed with concern internationally. Observers in the EU, the US, and Australia are calling it a breach of the dam. Where data protection was previously considered a central fundamental right, control is now taking centre stage. Experts warn: Age verification could open the door to comprehensive digital ID requirements – with devastating consequences for freedom of expression and anonymity.

Initial petitions have now collected hundreds of thousands of signatures. Even politicians from the opposition are calling for improvements. But the government is sticking to its guns. For them, the law is a showcase project, a means of regaining control over content and user behaviour. The fact that this is occurring at the expense of privacy and with dubious technologies is a conscious decision.

In fact, the new system has failed before it can function across the board. It excludes instead of protecting. It creates new inequalities instead of mitigating risks. And it alienates users from a digital infrastructure that is supposed to be open and free.

The question is no longer whether resistance will form – but whether it will be heard. The online protests demonstrate that society is not prepared to give up its fundamental digital rights without a fight. The British attempt to enforce security through control thus becomes a litmus test for the future of digital freedom in Europe.

Total control is being prepared: EU tests prototype of an age verification app

The European Union is pushing ahead with the introduction of a comprehensive system for digital age verification as well. The basis for the new infrastructure is the Digital Services Act (DSA), with which the EU Commission set a twelve-month deadline for all online platforms – including virtual communication networks and gaming portals – on July 23, 2025. Within this period, all providers must implement “strict age verification systems” to regulate access to age-restricted content.

But what is being introduced under the banner of child protection de facto opens the door to digital identity control on a broad front. The technical requirements leave no doubt as to where this is headed: biometric facial scans, government eID systems, and full ID data will regulate access to large parts of the internet in the future. The pilot phase is already underway – in France, Italy, Spain, Denmark, and Greece, among others.

In parallel, a central EU-wide age verification app is being tested, which could become part of the planned digital identity wallet starting in 2026. The Commission speaks of “data-efficient” solutions, but in practice, this means users need to prove their identity – or they lose access. Vulnerable groups such as young people without valid IDs, refugees, or people without digital devices are particularly affected. They face systematic digital exclusion.

The danger lies not only in the system’s inefficiency, but also in its political implications. What begins with the protection of children could quickly be expanded to include other content: political expression, health information, dissenting narratives. Once established, an infrastructure for centralized user verification is the ideal tool for digital censorship – adapted to any “guidelines” or “community standards.”

The European Commission has so far appeared unimpressed by the resistance. On the contrary: Eleven member states are already calling for age verification to be extended to virtual communication networks. Access to platforms like Instagram, TikTok, or YouTube could become impossible without an ID in the future.

What’s emerging here isn’t simply a new youth protection law. It’s the creation of a digital control regime that will require all users to permanently verify their identity – under the pretext of protection and security. Total verification is no longer a vision of the future, but concrete political practice.

yogaesoteric
September 27, 2025