Spotify users will now have to verify their age to access certain content on the platform due to the introduction of the UK Online Safety Act.
It came into effect last week, and means social media companies and search services now have a “legal duties to protect their users from illegal content and content harmful to children.”
As part of the act, users must now prove their age to access websites that host adult content. You can typically do this by uploading pictures of Government-issued ID such as passports or driving licences or take a video selfie, which the system will then use to “estimate” your age.
This applies to Spotify’s terms with the streaming service asking for verification through facial age recognition or ID verification for certain content.
By the way, the UK online safety act is also affecting services like Spotify. In case you thought it’s only about protecting kids from things like pornography. pic.twitter.com/xHUQDDCJjI
— Petr Švec (@realPetrSvec) July 30, 2025
Under the act, social media companies also have to alter their algorithms to make sure things like violence, suicide or self-harm material are not shown to young people, and children must be given more control over their accounts, including around blocking and reporting on social media.
The legislation has caused a backlash with people protesting against the UK’s new online safety rules, with accusations of censorship being levelled at the government, reports Sky News.
Nearly 400,000 people have signed a petition asking for the new rules to be repealed.
As a result, there has also been a spike in VPNs being downloaded to bypass the rules with five of the top 10 apps on Apple’s App Store and Google searches for the tool rocketing, according to digwatch.
Cybersecurity experts have warned people to avoid unvetted free VPNs as they “can pose serious risks, with some selling user data or containing malware”.
Elsewhere, gamers recently reportedly discovered that Death Stranding 2: On The Beach’s photo mode is realistic enough to fool the technology.
When presented with the age verification pop-up, gamers launched the Death Stranding 2: On The Beach photo mode by using the ‘Sam’s expression’ bar to pick the requested facial expression. The trick has been verified by PC Gamer.