The fake IDs of the 21st century – including AI and false MOUSTACHES

The fake IDs of the 21st century – including AI and false MOUSTACHES,

A new report has revealed the desperate lengths British children are going to to bypass online age checks. 

Since July 2025, Ofcom has enforced strict age checks for websites hosting pornography and harmful content.

Now, a report by Internet Matters has revealed the crafty techniques under–18s are using to get around these restrictions. 

According to the report, some children opt for ‘simple’ approaches, including entering a different birthday, or uploading a photo of a parent’s ID.

Others use more sophisticated methods, such as submitting a video of another person’s face, or using a Virtual Private Network (VPN).

Meanwhile, in some cases, children are even drawing facial hair on themselves to try to trick the verification tools. 

Amazingly, this has proved effective for some youngsters.  

‘I did catch my son using an eyebrow pencil to draw a moustache on his face, and it verified him as 15 years old,’ an unnamed mother of a 12–year–old boy said. 

A new report has revealed the desperate lengths British children are going to to bypass online age checks

According to the report, some children opt for ‘simple’ approaches, including entering a different birthday, or uploading a photo of a parent’s ID (stock image) 

Since July 25, the Online Safety Act has required the operators of online platforms to prevent children from viewing ‘harmful content’.

That includes explicit content, like pornography, but also content that encourages self–harm or suicide, promotes dangerous challenges, shows serious violence, or incites hatred against people.

These platforms offer a range of age verifications methods, including photo–ID matching, facial age estimation, mobile–network operator (MNO) age checks, credit card checks, email–based age estimation, digital identity services and open banking. 

For the new report, Internet Matters surveyed 1,000 British children and their parents about how and if they’re getting around these measures.  

The survey found that age checks are perceived by almost half (46 per cent) of children as easy to bypass. 

In focus groups, children demonstrated a range of ways to get around the checks. 

Entering a fake birthday was the most common method, used by 13 per cent of children.

Using someone else’s log–in was next (nine per cent), while eight per cent said they used someone else’s device. 

Since July 25, the Online Safety Act has required the operators of online platforms to prevent children from viewing ‘harmful content’

A VPN – a service that masks your IP address – was popular with seven per cent of children, while six per cent said they’d used someone else’s ID. 

Finally, three per cent were even able to pass the checks with random photos. 

‘If [going live] needed an ID, I’d use my parent’s ID and then if they wanted to upload a photo, I’d go online and upload any,’ one 13–year–old boy said. 

An 11–year–old girl added: ‘I’ve seen clips of people online where they’ll get clips of video game characters like turning their head and use it for age verification.’

And a 12–year–old boy explained: ‘On Roblox there’s a thing where you put your face in and only allowed to chat with that age group… I got 15 when I’m 12, so I’m chatting with people older than me when I shouldn’t be.’

The report also found that many parents have helped their child to get around the online age checks. 

‘I have one account on TikTok I go live on, so I got my mum to put her ID in. She says it’s because she trusts me. I don’t show my face on it so I don’t get banned,’ one 12-year-old girl explained. 

A mum of a 13-year-old non-binary child added: ‘I have helped my son get around them. It was to play a game, and I knew the game, and I was happy and confident that I was fine with him playing it.’

Based on the findings, the experts at Internet Matter are calling for online age checks to be strengthened. 

‘While age verification measures are positive, they are not always accurate or stringent in practice,’ the report reads. 

‘This is concerning because without robust verification and enforcement, children may continue to access content and features that are unsuitable for them, leaving the burden of protection largely on parents and carers. 

‘If age verification is to be used to keep children safe online, then platforms, government and the regulator need to ensure it is effective.’