Let me see some ID: age verification is spreading across the internet – The Verge

PlayStation’s age-gating restrictions are coming to UK consoles

2026-04-21T09:39:37-04:00

Sony is starting to comply with the UK's Online Safety Act by notifying PlayStation players of its age verification requirements today. PS4 and PS5 owners in the UK and Ireland won't be able to participate in voice chats, messaging, parties, or other third-party communication services from June unless they verify their age.

"Beginning June 2026, if you have not completed age verification, you can continue playing on PlayStation, but some features won't be available until you verify your age," says Sony in a support note. Age verification will also be required for broadcasting features or sharing gameplay to YouTube or Twitch from a PlayStat …

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Wisconsin governor says ‘no’ to age checks for porn

2026-04-06T18:32:37-04:00

Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers vetoed a bill that would've required residents to verify their age before accessing porn sites, as reported earlier by 404 Media. In a letter to the members of the assembly last week, Evers writes that the bill "imposes an intrusive burden on adults who are trying to access constitutionally protected materials."

The bill (AB 105) would've required sites with more than one-third of their total content deemed harmful to minors to impose a "reasonable" form of age verification, such as asking users to show their government-issued ID. More than two dozen states have already passed similar age check requirements for acc …

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Apple’s iOS 26.4 update adds age verification in the UK

2026-04-08T05:53:22-04:00

Apple now requires users in the UK to verify their age with the launch of iOS 26.4. In a support page on Apple's website, the company says users must confirm that they're over 18 to "use certain services or features, or take certain actions on their account."

UK users can confirm their age by scanning their ID or using a credit card. If a user already has an Apple account, the company may use a linked payment method to verify that they're over 18. Otherwise, Apple will automatically enable child safety protections, including features that block adult content on the web and blur messages containing nudity.

Apple launched iOS 26.4 on Tuesday …

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Lawmakers just advanced online safety laws that require age verification at the app store

2026-03-06T08:27:45-05:00

A package of child safety bills is headed to the House floor following an hours-long session that left Democrats and Republicans divided. On Thursday, lawmakers on the House Committee on Energy and Commerce voted to advance the Kids Internet and Digital Safety (KIDS) Act; Sammy's Law; and the App Store Accountability Act, which would require app stores to introduce age-gating.

The KIDS Act, which is sponsored by Congressman Brett Guthrie (R-KY), encompasses several child safety laws. That includes a version of the latest House Republican update to the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) without the "duty of care" provision central to the Senate's …

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FTC declines to enforce a kids privacy law for data collected to verify users’ ages

2026-02-26T15:50:29-05:00

The Federal Trade Commission is encouraging companies to adopt age verification technologies by announcing it will not enforce a children's online privacy law against certain websites that collect and use minors' personal data in order to verify their ages.

"Age verification technologies are some of the most child-protective technologies to emerge in decades," Christopher Mufarrige, the director of the Bureau of Consumer Protection, said in a press release. "Our statement incentivizes operators to use these innovative tools, empowering parents to protect their children online."

There are certain criteria that websites need to meet in order …

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Apple says age verification shown to UK users in iOS 26.4 beta was an ‘error’

2026-02-27T21:15:04-05:00

Apple users running the iOS 26.4 beta in the UK saw prompts telling them to verify that they're over 18 following installation. As shown in screenshots posted to Reddit, Apple says users who don't confirm their age "will not be able to download and purchase apps or make in-app purchases."

Apple spokesperson Peter Ajemian says the company has since removed the prompt:

Some users on the beta software in the UK temporarily saw a message suggesting age verification is required to download apps. That message was displayed in error, and has been fixed. Developers may continue to use the Declared Age Range API to provide age appropriate experien …

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Apple’s new age verification tools block underage app downloads where required by law

2026-02-24T19:45:37-05:00

Apple, like many others, has had to launch age verification features in response to new requirements for age checks in many regions, and on Tuesday, the company announced new details about its tools that developers can use to "meet their age assurance obligations under upcoming U.S. and regional laws, including in Brazil, Australia, Singapore, Utah, and Louisiana."

One of the big updates is that users in Australia, Brazil, and Singapore can't download apps rated 18-plus unless their age has been confirmed through "reasonable methods," which the App Store can confirm automatically. Apple notes that developers may still "have separate obliga …

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Discord is delaying its global age verification rollout

2026-02-24T15:51:39-05:00

Discord won't roll out age verification globally on its platform next month as previously announced, and says in a blog post that it's delaying the launch until the second half of 2026. "The way this landed, many of you walked away thinking we're requiring face scans and ID uploads from everyone just to use Discord. That's not what's happening, but the fact that so many people believe it tells us we failed at our most basic job: clearly explaining what we're doing and why," writes Discord CTO Stanislav Vishnevskiy.

Discord says that before it rolls out age verification globally, it will add more options for users to verify their age (includ …

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Discord distances itself from Persona age verification after user backlash

2026-02-23T11:22:20-05:00

Discord is attempting to distance itself from the age verification provider Persona following a steady stream of user backlash. In an emailed statement to The Verge, Discord's head of product policy, Savannah Badalich, confirms the company "ran a limited test of Persona in the UK where age assurance had previously launched and that test has since concluded."

After Discord announced plans to implement age verification globally starting next month, users across social media accused Discord of "lying" about how it plans on handling face scans and ID uploads. Much of the criticism was directed toward Discord's partnership with Persona, an age v …

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Discord says ‘vast majority’ of users won’t see its new age verification setup

2026-02-10T15:18:25-05:00

On Tuesday, Discord released an update clarifying that the "vast majority of people can continue using Discord exactly as they do today," without needing to use a face scan or ID to verify their age so they can use the platform without restrictions. Discord states in the post that "age prediction" using information Discord already has will likely be sufficient for many users:

We've seen some questions about our age assurance update and we want to share more clarity. We know how important these changes are to our community.

Here's what we want you to know:

• Discord is not requiring everyone to complete a face scan or upload an ID to …

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