Reddit, PornHub Set UK Age Restriction: How Will This Affect Your Browsing?

From 25 July, Reddit and PornHub will begin enforcing mandatory age verification for UK users under new government regulations. The move follows the rollout of the Online Safety Act 2023 and marks a significant change in how adult content is accessed online.

The rules, which apply to any platform hosting pornographic material, will require users to prove they are over 18. While the changes aim to better protect minors, they have also raised concerns about digital privacy, data protection and internet freedoms.

What the Age-Verification Rules Require

Under the legislation, sites that contain adult content, including social media platforms such as Reddit, must ensure users are legally adults. The UK's media regulator Ofcom will enforce the rules, with fines of up to £18 million or 10 per cent of a company's annual global turnover for non-compliance.

Reddit has said it will soon require UK users to complete age checks to access its NSFW (Not Safe For Work) communities, using Persona, a third-party identity verification tool. PornHub and other adult sites are also preparing to introduce UK-specific systems, which may include credit card checks, photo ID, or facial recognition software approved by the government.

How Users Will Be Affected

For UK residents, accessing Reddit's adult forums will require formal proof of age. Some users have speculated that Reddit may block access to such content entirely in the UK to avoid managing complex verification processes.

One possible workaround is the use of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) to simulate browsing from outside the UK. However, digital rights groups warn that added verification steps may reduce anonymity and discourage engagement.

Privacy campaigners have raised concerns over the systems proposed by both social media and adult platforms. Some verification tools involve linking identity documents or biometric data to online activity, which critics say increases risks of hacking, surveillance or identity theft.

Privacy, Safety and Enforcement

While the rules specifically target pornographic websites with mandatory age verification, mainstream platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook are not held to the same requirements. However, under proposed British measures published last year, these platforms would be required to 'tame' their algorithms to filter or downgrade harmful material in order to better protect children, Reuters reported. Critics argue that this still creates a gap in protections, as enforcement and standards vary significantly between types of platforms.

Ofcom has said it will issue compliance notices and conduct audits to ensure the new rules are being followed. The regulator will also work with age-verification providers to create industry-wide standards that prioritise both effectiveness and user privacy.

The UK's Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) started investigating Reddit's handling of age-related data in March. Meanwhile, PornHub's parent company, Aylo, has proposed a 'device level' age verification system, which would verify age through a user's phone or browser settings without storing personal data.

As Reddit and PornHub prepare for enforcement, UK users may have to submit to official age checks, explore circumvention tools, or avoid adult content entirely. While the regulations aim to make the internet safer for young people, they also raise new questions about privacy, data rights and the evolving role of government in online life.