Reddit users in the UK are now being required to follow the UK’s new digital ID laws and verify their age before accessing content deemed unsafe for minors, following new state-imposed demands under the UK’s new censorship law, the Online Safety Act.
This latest step in the government’s push to regulate digital spaces compels websites to install digital ID checks in the name of child protection, at the potential expense of user privacy and the risk of stifling free speech by removing anonymity.
More: The Digital ID and Online Age Verification Agenda
Starting 14 July, Reddit introduced a system that forces users to confirm they are over 18 through external verification.
Partnering with a company called Persona, Reddit is demanding either a selfie or a government-issued ID, such as a passport, to unlock access to mature content. Users unwilling to submit such personal data risk being blocked from entire swaths of the platform.
The move is not Reddit’s idea, but rather a forced adaptation to looming enforcement threats from Ofcom, the UK’s media regulator.
Ofcom has made it clear that sites hosting certain material must implement what it calls “robust” age gates or face heavy financial penalties. “We expect other companies to follow suit, or face enforcement if they fail to act,” said the regulator.
While Reddit claims it will not retain images or full ID documents, it will log a user’s verification status and date of birth to allow easier access in the future.
Persona, according to Reddit, “promises not to retain the picture for longer than seven days” and will supposedly not touch any browsing data on the site. Despite these assurances, the fact remains: the state now requires people to hand over personal identification simply to access legal online discussions.
The full enforcement of the Online Safety Act begins on 25 July, and Ofcom is already signaling that noncompliance could result in fines of up to £18 ($24) million or 10 percent of global revenue, whichever is greater.
Even more alarmingly, the regulator has been granted the power to disrupt business operations entirely, potentially forcing ISPs to block sites or pressuring advertisers and payment providers to cut ties with platforms deemed non-compliant.
