Reddit: age checks in the UK
Age check required to view mature communities in the UK since 14 July 2025. Reddit’s pages name an Apple-account age range on iOS or a Persona selfie or ID; Persona’s Reddit FAQ now says data is deleted immediately after verification.
Age check for some content or features Social media Reddit, Inc. verified 18 October 2026
Facts panel
Published statements are shown with their sources and the dates we checked them. Missing information and availability limits remain explicit.
- Domain
- reddit.com
- Age check
- Age check for some content or features, first recorded 14 July 2025
- Triggered by
- adult or mature content
- Applies to
- all UK users
- Notes
- Reddit’s UK page (updated 24 June 2026): “Reddit will ask for your birthdate when you attempt to access mature (NSFW) or restricted content. If we have information indicating you are under 13, you must verify your age to continue using your account.” UK users who do not verify “may experience limited access to anonymous browsing features.” An Apple-account verification loop on iOS was reported by press in April 2026.
- Methods
- Face scanPhoto IDOtherInference
The Google account route is offered “in a few regions” per Reddit; the UK page names the Apple route.
- Vendor
- Persona; Other recorded providers for other (Apple or Google app-store age range), inference
- Overall record checked
- 18 October 2026. Individual methods may have later checks, shown below.
Methods and retention, one row per method
| Method | Provider | Retention, as published | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Facial age estimation (face scan) | Persona |
“Persona deletes all of your personal information, including any images if collected, immediately after the verification process ends.” Quoted from help.withpersona.com; checked 18 October 2026. Held by the vendor. Period as stated: Immediately after the verification process ends (Persona’s Reddit FAQ). Notes: Reddit receives only the estimated age. Reddit’s own page (updated 6 October 2026): “Reddit does not receive or store these photos; we only store your verified age and status. Persona deletes your information immediately after it’s processed.” |
help.withpersona.com Primary source · checked 18 October 2026 |
| Photo ID | Persona |
“Persona deletes all of your personal information, including any images if collected, immediately after the verification process ends.” Quoted from help.withpersona.com; checked 18 October 2026. Held by the vendor. Period as stated: Immediately after the verification process ends (Persona’s Reddit FAQ). Notes: Reddit receives date of birth from the ID. Reddit’s own page (updated 6 October 2026): “Reddit does not receive or store these photos; we only store your verified age and status. Persona deletes your information immediately after it’s processed.” |
help.withpersona.com Primary source · checked 18 October 2026 |
| Other method | Apple or Google app-store age range |
No published retention period found (checked 18 October 2026). Notes: Reddit’s page: “App store signals (iOS & Android): If you use the Reddit app, you can share your age range and update your birthday directly from your Apple account or (in a few regions) Google account. Reddit receives only your age range (e.g., “18+”), not your actual birthdate.” Reddit’s UK page names the Apple account route for iOS. The Google account route is offered “in a few regions” per Reddit; the UK page names the Apple route. |
support.reddithelp.com, dated 6 October 2026 Primary source · checked 18 October 2026 |
| In-house age inference | Provider not identified |
No published retention period found (checked 18 October 2026). Notes: Reddit’s page lists the signals it uses to predict an age group without asking: the account email address and domain “including email-based age inference from third-party providers”, the age of the account, posts, comments and subscriptions, the birthdate given at sign-up, prior verification status, and age signals from app stores and third-party providers. Where the system cannot determine the age group, Reddit may ask for device or partner verification. |
support.reddithelp.com, dated 6 October 2026 Primary source · checked 18 October 2026 |
What you will see
- What happens
- Opening mature content prompts a Persona flow (selfie or photo ID) or, on iOS, sharing your age range from your Apple account.
- How long it takes
- Not stated by the service.
- If you decline
- Mature communities stay hidden; the rest of Reddit works.
- Official help page
- support.reddithelp.com
Questions people ask about Reddit
Does Reddit require age verification in the UK?
For some content or features. As of 18 October 2026, Reddit asks UK users to complete an age check for adult or mature content, applying to all UK users. First recorded 14 July 2025. The Google account route is offered “in a few regions” per Reddit; the UK page names the Apple route.
Is the Reddit age check a face scan?
A face scan (facial age estimation) is one of 4 recorded methods: Facial age estimation (face scan), Photo ID, Other method (availability varies by jurisdiction) and In-house age inference. Providers named: Persona and Apple or Google app-store age range. Which methods a service offers can change; the date each was checked is shown on the page. The Google account route is offered “in a few regions” per Reddit; the UK page names the Apple route.
What does Reddit keep after the age check?
Facial age estimation (face scan) via Persona: "Persona deletes all of your personal information, including any images if collected, immediately after the verification process ends." (help.withpersona.com; checked 18 October 2026). Photo ID via Persona: "Persona deletes all of your personal information, including any images if collected, immediately after the verification process ends." (help.withpersona.com; checked 18 October 2026). Other method (availability varies by jurisdiction) via Apple or Google app-store age range: No published retention period found (checked 18 October 2026). In-house age inference via the service: No published retention period found (checked 18 October 2026). The Google account route is offered “in a few regions” per Reddit; the UK page names the Apple route.
What if the Reddit age check is not working?
This site records what the service publishes; it does not troubleshoot or offer workarounds. Reddit's own help page is https://support.reddithelp.com/hc/en-us/articles/47163677520276-United-Kingdom-Online-Safety-Act. The record lists 4 methods; availability depends on the service and account: Facial age estimation (face scan), Photo ID, Other method (availability varies by jurisdiction) and In-house age inference. If you do not complete the check, the service states: Mature communities stay hidden; the rest of Reddit works. The Google account route is offered “in a few regions” per Reddit; the UK page names the Apple route.
Has a regulator taken action over Reddit's age checks?
ICO, 24 February 2026: No lawful basis for under-13 data, no DPIA before Jan 2025, self-declaration only until July 2025. (£14,470,000) The Google account route is offered “in a few regions” per Reddit; the UK page names the Apple route.
Regulator actions
- — ICO: Fine (£14,470,000). No lawful basis for under-13 data, no DPIA before Jan 2025, self-declaration only until July 2025. biometricupdate.com
Sources for this entry
- Persona help: Reddit vendor page
- Biometric Update press 15 July 2025
- Reddit Help: United Kingdom: Online Safety Act service help 24 June 2026
- Reddit Help: Why is Reddit asking for my age? service help 6 October 2026
Changes to this record
- — methods, sources, user_facing.official_help_url, open_questions: Reddit’s current help pages read 18 October 2026: UK article (24 June 2026) and “Why is Reddit asking for my age?” (6 October 2026). Added the app-store age-range route and Reddit’s own age-prediction signals as rows; Reddit’s wording that it stores only verified age and status recorded in notes. (was: Official help link was a Reddit article that now returns “page doesn’t exist”) manual
- — methods.retention: Persona deletes all of your personal information, including any images if collected, immediately after the verification process ends. (Persona’s Reddit FAQ re-read 18 October 2026; the page carries no date.) (was: Persona deletes all of your personal information including any images within 3 days.) manual
- — methods.retention: Re-read Persona’s Reddit FAQ. The current period is recorded separately from July 2025 press reporting; only method verification dates were updated. manual
- — seed: record created from research/01 and research/02 seed
Correct this entry
If Reddit's own page says something different, that page wins and we want to know. Send a correction with the URL. Corrections are answered within a week and logged above with their source. Nothing you send is published.