Reddit starts verifying ages of users in the UK

Reddit, a well-known social media platform where people join communities to discuss all sorts of topics, is introducing age verification for its users in the UK. This change is happening because of the UK's new Online Safety Act, which requires websites that show adult or mature content to use strong methods to check how old their users are. Reddit says it does not want to know everything about its users, but it does need to know if someone is a child or an adult to help keep everyone safe.

From July 14, Reddit will work with a company called Persona to check users' ages. If you want to see content that is only for adults, you will need to upload a selfie or a photo of your government ID, like a passport. Reddit says it will not keep your photo, only your verification status and date of birth, so you do not have to do the process every time you want to see restricted content. Persona promises not to keep your photo for more than seven days and will not have access to your Reddit data.

The new rules will start on July 25. Ofcom, the UK regulator, says that protecting children from things that are not suitable for them, like alcohol or gambling, has always been important, and now the same protection is coming to the internet. Adults will still be able to access legal content. However, some experts, like Scott Babwah Brennen from New York University, say that kids might still find ways to get around the rules, and there are concerns about who is collecting personal information and how long they keep it. David Greene from the Electronic Frontier Foundation thinks the new law is a problem because people have to show their ID to use the internet, and he is disappointed that websites like Reddit are not challenging the law. Other adult websites, like Pornhub, are also planning to introduce stronger age checks. If companies do not follow the new rules, they could face big fines or even be blocked in the UK.