If the government instigates the proposed social media ban, everyone would have to prove their age to be allowed to access Reddit. Would you submit your ID to access Reddit or will you give up social media rather than submit to ID checks?
January 23, 2026
If the government instigates the proposed social media ban, everyone would have to prove their age to be allowed to access Reddit. Would you submit your ID to access Reddit or will you give up social media rather than submit to ID checks?
49 comments
I’d submit a picture of my old provisional license I keep saved
Would use a VPN
[deleted]
I’d just leave my vpn on
Already have, ages ago
As with most others, I’d just have my VPN on all of the time.
Probably just quit reddit tbf, I’m not too heavily invested in it anyway. It’s only really something I bother to use when I am on a train or in a waiting room etc…
I already had to prove my age ?
I wouldn’t ever verify my age to access information. I’d use a VPN if they did and if they ban VPNs I’ll use Tor
Use a vpn, give up social media or find another work around.
Love the black market for fake ids in schools are going to have a resurgence though.
God please let this happen so I can finally be free
Already done it on Reddit. It was a face scan, didnt have to provide ID.
I use a VPN for Reddit anyway, aside from the porn subs there are serious subs and NSFW tags that I want to see.
It would change nothing for me.
Yes, but reluctantly. I see both positives and negatives, in the same way currently not requiring an ID has positives and negatives.
I will continue to browse from Albania using my VPN
It would depend how rigid the system was in practice. Look at the Online Safety Act checks we have now: everyone knows that most of them can be fooled by the average 12 year old who uses a photo of someone else for the face verification check. Politicians are usually absolutely appalling at understanding (or at least admitting to understanding) how the internet actually works.
But to the underlying question: no I wouldn’t. I am not giving major ID (passport details etc) to an effectively unaccountable foreign corporation just to chat about crisp flavours or whatever. If it’s a forced choice of do that or close my account, I’ll close my account. I was online when everyone used email, LiveJournal, forums and blogs, and we were perfectly able to keep in touch with each other, have discussions, meet friends, etc.
I’ll use a VPN like I already do to access age restricted content like medical advice and a discussion about dogs. Both tagged NSFW and so unable to access as an adult in the UK without ID 🙄
Neither, id just use a vpn
It will just push people to VPNs more then they already have.
Can’t this just be avoided with a VPN?
I’m absolutely livid if this were to go through. Just another step for the government to impose further control. What are they able to track once I’ve entered my ID on social media? I know your online presence is only anonymous/private to a certain extend, but I don’t fancy volunteeringly giving the government access to my private channels just to “verify my age”.
I won’t ever submit to ID checks. I’ll simply stop participating in social media.
The main problem is that Reddit is American. Any personal data submitted would not be protected by regulation for ex GDPR. There’s nothing to stop Reddit or any other non European platform from selling your data to third parties . VPN is the only answer atm.
I’d use a vpn. Fuck ’em.
I personally don’t mind the ‘face scans’, my photo is publicly available anyway, so a company taking another photo of me on a webcam doesn’t worry me personally. Copy of photo ID feels a lot more intrusive.
Technically, Digital ID would solve this in a much more comprehensive and safer way (it could be done now through the government gateway, in a similar way to the Driving License check code) although that would give the government a record of every site you’ve authenticated with which is bad for other reasons!
Face scan will probably be an option. I’d do that, easier than using a VPN.
But I wouldn’t upload ID. I’d used a VPN instead in that case.
The Australian law banning social media for kids covers Reddit.
Given that the UK govt hasn’t even announced that intends to introduce a ban, let alone launch a consultation or publish legislation, OP is no position to state as fact that this would be the same in the UK. That first “would” needs to be a “may”.
I did. I don’t care.
1) go find a homeless person and offer to buy them lunch
2) ask them to scan their face using your phone when you login to Reddit’s ‘age verification’ system.
3) buy them lunch
4) Continue using Reddit as per normal
Apparently this is what the kids are doing to circumvent the OSA.
It’s so sad that the government thinks this will be effective.
I use Reddit more than I should, but I wouldn’t miss it if it went tomorrow. Same either way my FB account, so, no, I would not verify or hand over my details.
I wouldn’t bother with Reddit any more. Even now it asks me to verify my age if I accidentally click on someone’s profile. No thanks hun
Laughs in VPN
i’m not giving my ID to a random internet company, or ID checker.
It means I already can’t browse homebrewing subs, medical cannabis/disability support groups, a lot of tattoo stuff, knifemaking/blacksmithing, even some computer game things because they were 18+ for swearing or drugs
I’m pretty sure I already face scanned to see NSFW stuff? So I don’t think I will need to do anything further for reddit.
Certain social media I will just bin. I don’t care about them but I think Reddit, Instagram and Discord I will keep and face scan for.
I will never upload my ID though. Do not trust it.
I’d probably give up on Reddit to be honest. It’s the only thing I use now and it’s a drain so it might be the kick I need.
I’m more worried about the shit my kids see on YouTube to be honest – will they ban that too?
For all the people saying they would use a VPN, banning VPNs for children has also been approved under the same proposed legislation so you would need ID for that as well.
Personally, I will probably quit reddit. I quit most social media a decade ago, discord is the only thing I really use and I probably would try to fake my way through an ID verification as it’s my main form of socialising and contact. WhatsApp similarly. It’s a bit of a grim time to be honest.
I don’t understand why they don’t just make it so ISPs block stuff and you have to submit ID to them which they check via an in house process. Oh wait, they already do that you say? Whole thing is a farce.
Already done the face scan thing. Not really that fussed about it.
Don’t think kids should have unfettered access to adult content. Yes I’m aware there are easy ways around it, but we don’t just let other things happen with zero limitations because it’s hard to enforce.
I’d just scan Norman Reedus’ face from Death Stranding again
In the UK, all NSFW sub Reddits are already blocked without age verification.
i’ll just use a VPN, same as i do for naughty sites
it’s not that i’m underage, but i’m not uploading my face or ID to third party age verification companies who i have miniscule levels of trust in my data being protected.
I already use a vpn for reddit anyway – can’t even access sims 4 subreddits…
tbh I’d probably just delete my Reddit account. I already keep up with most things with RSS, podcasts, YouTube videos, etc. If I have to prove my IRL identity then having a pseudoanonymous social media account that doesn’t have to follow my employer’s overly strict social media policy isn’t an option anymore.
Okay, but everyone acts as if this is somehow a new thing or specific to porn and social media
Verification of your identity has been done for a few years now in lots of places, namely dating apps and holiday sites where real users interact and need verification it isn’t a bot and nobody, literally no-one, mentions it.
Yet your face is plastered all over social media, it knows your partner, children, wedding date, when you’re on holiday, date of birth from birthday photos, friends and family, current location, and hobbies and interests, and Google knows your search history, card details, purchases, home address, mother’s maiden name and home address. Why does a photo of an ID card or your face scare people.
I really do feel like people are panicking over something that really isn’t that bad. If they want to harvest your data, they are doing it already. These checks will also drastically reduce bot numbers imo which basically why I don’t use Facebook.
But actually, I did stop watching porn when the ID checks came in. Not because of the ID check itself, that I e done for a gazillion other things. But because it was just one extra step to make me realise I don’t need it in my life. And the ID checks on Reddit have too. I just have the Pg version now and I’m actually much happier for it.
Nope. If they introduce a rule where you MUST provide ID for your social media accounts I’ll be deleting my social media.
I’ve used VPN for years, nothing changes unless they try and ban VPN. Thankfully this would be an absolute nightmare to enforce.
If anyone wants my ID for social media, then i’ll just use a VPN or not use social media.
The days pre-internet can come back for me. I’ll get on the landline to speak to Bens mum to see if hes playing out.
Pre-social media is probably just going to bring back the niche hobbyist forums and ill 100% all for that. The internet golden age.
Why are the government so hell bent on connecting our IDs to what we do on the internet? First they introduce the online age checks on over 18 material, then they tried and failed to push this digital ID nonsense and now they want to do something with social media under the guise of banning under 16s.
I get the feeling theres an alternate motive besides ‘protecting children’.
I wouldn’t submit my ID for ANYTHING until after it’s been in widespread usage for about 5 years. Even then I would use VPNs and other technologies to avoid it as long as possible. We’ve already seen huge breaches of people’s ID from the Online Safety Act and I would bet my last pound coin that the worst is yet to come.
It’s the Wild West, third party companies popping up to verify your ID and “delete” any data the second you’re verified… Until it turns out they didn’t delete it, or there was a bug in deleting it, or some threat actor had access to their systems for X number of months and exfiltrated the ID before the company deleted it etc. The list goes on.
It’s such a drastic change with implementation asked for too quickly that it’s asking for trouble.
It’s another one of them things.
I agree with this – I don’t agree with ID.
Police it with parents.
49 comments
I’d submit a picture of my old provisional license I keep saved
Would use a VPN
[deleted]
I’d just leave my vpn on
Already have, ages ago
As with most others, I’d just have my VPN on all of the time.
Probably just quit reddit tbf, I’m not too heavily invested in it anyway. It’s only really something I bother to use when I am on a train or in a waiting room etc…
I already had to prove my age ?
I wouldn’t ever verify my age to access information. I’d use a VPN if they did and if they ban VPNs I’ll use Tor
Use a vpn, give up social media or find another work around.
Love the black market for fake ids in schools are going to have a resurgence though.
God please let this happen so I can finally be free
Already done it on Reddit. It was a face scan, didnt have to provide ID.
I use a VPN for Reddit anyway, aside from the porn subs there are serious subs and NSFW tags that I want to see.
It would change nothing for me.
Yes, but reluctantly. I see both positives and negatives, in the same way currently not requiring an ID has positives and negatives.
I will continue to browse from Albania using my VPN
It would depend how rigid the system was in practice. Look at the Online Safety Act checks we have now: everyone knows that most of them can be fooled by the average 12 year old who uses a photo of someone else for the face verification check. Politicians are usually absolutely appalling at understanding (or at least admitting to understanding) how the internet actually works.
But to the underlying question: no I wouldn’t. I am not giving major ID (passport details etc) to an effectively unaccountable foreign corporation just to chat about crisp flavours or whatever. If it’s a forced choice of do that or close my account, I’ll close my account. I was online when everyone used email, LiveJournal, forums and blogs, and we were perfectly able to keep in touch with each other, have discussions, meet friends, etc.
I’ll use a VPN like I already do to access age restricted content like medical advice and a discussion about dogs. Both tagged NSFW and so unable to access as an adult in the UK without ID 🙄
Neither, id just use a vpn
It will just push people to VPNs more then they already have.
Can’t this just be avoided with a VPN?
I’m absolutely livid if this were to go through. Just another step for the government to impose further control. What are they able to track once I’ve entered my ID on social media? I know your online presence is only anonymous/private to a certain extend, but I don’t fancy volunteeringly giving the government access to my private channels just to “verify my age”.
I won’t ever submit to ID checks. I’ll simply stop participating in social media.
The main problem is that Reddit is American. Any personal data submitted would not be protected by regulation for ex GDPR. There’s nothing to stop Reddit or any other non European platform from selling your data to third parties . VPN is the only answer atm.
I’d use a vpn. Fuck ’em.
I personally don’t mind the ‘face scans’, my photo is publicly available anyway, so a company taking another photo of me on a webcam doesn’t worry me personally. Copy of photo ID feels a lot more intrusive.
Technically, Digital ID would solve this in a much more comprehensive and safer way (it could be done now through the government gateway, in a similar way to the Driving License check code) although that would give the government a record of every site you’ve authenticated with which is bad for other reasons!
Face scan will probably be an option. I’d do that, easier than using a VPN.
But I wouldn’t upload ID. I’d used a VPN instead in that case.
The Australian law banning social media for kids covers Reddit.
Given that the UK govt hasn’t even announced that intends to introduce a ban, let alone launch a consultation or publish legislation, OP is no position to state as fact that this would be the same in the UK. That first “would” needs to be a “may”.
I did. I don’t care.
1) go find a homeless person and offer to buy them lunch
2) ask them to scan their face using your phone when you login to Reddit’s ‘age verification’ system.
3) buy them lunch
4) Continue using Reddit as per normal
Apparently this is what the kids are doing to circumvent the OSA.
It’s so sad that the government thinks this will be effective.
I use Reddit more than I should, but I wouldn’t miss it if it went tomorrow. Same either way my FB account, so, no, I would not verify or hand over my details.
I wouldn’t bother with Reddit any more. Even now it asks me to verify my age if I accidentally click on someone’s profile. No thanks hun
Laughs in VPN
i’m not giving my ID to a random internet company, or ID checker.
It means I already can’t browse homebrewing subs, medical cannabis/disability support groups, a lot of tattoo stuff, knifemaking/blacksmithing, even some computer game things because they were 18+ for swearing or drugs
I’m pretty sure I already face scanned to see NSFW stuff? So I don’t think I will need to do anything further for reddit.
Certain social media I will just bin. I don’t care about them but I think Reddit, Instagram and Discord I will keep and face scan for.
I will never upload my ID though. Do not trust it.
I’d probably give up on Reddit to be honest. It’s the only thing I use now and it’s a drain so it might be the kick I need.
I’m more worried about the shit my kids see on YouTube to be honest – will they ban that too?
For all the people saying they would use a VPN, banning VPNs for children has also been approved under the same proposed legislation so you would need ID for that as well.
https://hansard.parliament.uk/lords/2026-01-21/debates/FDF32A4B-6004-4C08-8995-EB06C45C0B65/Children%E2%80%99SWellbeingAndSchoolsBill#contribution-F681F623-4BB8-4D6B-9EDC-144FED745239
Personally, I will probably quit reddit. I quit most social media a decade ago, discord is the only thing I really use and I probably would try to fake my way through an ID verification as it’s my main form of socialising and contact. WhatsApp similarly. It’s a bit of a grim time to be honest.
I don’t understand why they don’t just make it so ISPs block stuff and you have to submit ID to them which they check via an in house process. Oh wait, they already do that you say? Whole thing is a farce.
Already done the face scan thing. Not really that fussed about it.
Don’t think kids should have unfettered access to adult content. Yes I’m aware there are easy ways around it, but we don’t just let other things happen with zero limitations because it’s hard to enforce.
I’d just scan Norman Reedus’ face from Death Stranding again
In the UK, all NSFW sub Reddits are already blocked without age verification.
i’ll just use a VPN, same as i do for naughty sites
it’s not that i’m underage, but i’m not uploading my face or ID to third party age verification companies who i have miniscule levels of trust in my data being protected.
I already use a vpn for reddit anyway – can’t even access sims 4 subreddits…
tbh I’d probably just delete my Reddit account. I already keep up with most things with RSS, podcasts, YouTube videos, etc. If I have to prove my IRL identity then having a pseudoanonymous social media account that doesn’t have to follow my employer’s overly strict social media policy isn’t an option anymore.
Okay, but everyone acts as if this is somehow a new thing or specific to porn and social media
Verification of your identity has been done for a few years now in lots of places, namely dating apps and holiday sites where real users interact and need verification it isn’t a bot and nobody, literally no-one, mentions it.
Yet your face is plastered all over social media, it knows your partner, children, wedding date, when you’re on holiday, date of birth from birthday photos, friends and family, current location, and hobbies and interests, and Google knows your search history, card details, purchases, home address, mother’s maiden name and home address. Why does a photo of an ID card or your face scare people.
I really do feel like people are panicking over something that really isn’t that bad. If they want to harvest your data, they are doing it already. These checks will also drastically reduce bot numbers imo which basically why I don’t use Facebook.
But actually, I did stop watching porn when the ID checks came in. Not because of the ID check itself, that I e done for a gazillion other things. But because it was just one extra step to make me realise I don’t need it in my life. And the ID checks on Reddit have too. I just have the Pg version now and I’m actually much happier for it.
Nope. If they introduce a rule where you MUST provide ID for your social media accounts I’ll be deleting my social media.
I’ve used VPN for years, nothing changes unless they try and ban VPN. Thankfully this would be an absolute nightmare to enforce.
If anyone wants my ID for social media, then i’ll just use a VPN or not use social media.
The days pre-internet can come back for me. I’ll get on the landline to speak to Bens mum to see if hes playing out.
Pre-social media is probably just going to bring back the niche hobbyist forums and ill 100% all for that. The internet golden age.
Why are the government so hell bent on connecting our IDs to what we do on the internet? First they introduce the online age checks on over 18 material, then they tried and failed to push this digital ID nonsense and now they want to do something with social media under the guise of banning under 16s.
I get the feeling theres an alternate motive besides ‘protecting children’.
I wouldn’t submit my ID for ANYTHING until after it’s been in widespread usage for about 5 years. Even then I would use VPNs and other technologies to avoid it as long as possible. We’ve already seen huge breaches of people’s ID from the Online Safety Act and I would bet my last pound coin that the worst is yet to come.
It’s the Wild West, third party companies popping up to verify your ID and “delete” any data the second you’re verified… Until it turns out they didn’t delete it, or there was a bug in deleting it, or some threat actor had access to their systems for X number of months and exfiltrated the ID before the company deleted it etc. The list goes on.
It’s such a drastic change with implementation asked for too quickly that it’s asking for trouble.
It’s another one of them things.
I agree with this – I don’t agree with ID.
Police it with parents.