UK Age Check Index

Timeline

Upcoming events first, then everything since Ofcom's guidance of 16 January 2025, newest first. Each event names its source. Service and vendor names link to their entries.

Coming up

  1. October 2026

    Ofcom rapid assessment to Parliament on highly effective age assurance for 16+

    Requested alongside the under-16 ban announcement. Every social-media entry on this site is affected by the outcome.

    Regulation · Ofcom

  2. October 2026

    First update on Ofcom's TikTok age-inference investigation

    Expected around October 2026 per Ofcom's announcement.

    Enforcement · Ofcom · TikTok

  3. By end of October 2026

    Ofcom and ICO report on detecting and preventing VPN use around age checks

    Announced on 16 July 2026 when the government decided not to limit VPNs. This site will record what the report says; it will not add VPN content.

    Regulation · Ofcom

  4. Autumn 2026

    Certified digital IDs accepted for alcohol sales in England and Wales

    Subject to Parliament approving the amended Mandatory Licensing Conditions. The same vendors (Yoti, Post Office EasyID) are involved.

    Government · Biometric Update

  5. By end of 2026

    Under-16 social media regulations laid under section 214A

    Regulations promised before Christmas 2026; Discord's global age-assurance rollout with k-ID and Veratad is also expected in the second half of 2026.

    Government · gov.uk

  6. January 2027

    Ofcom statutory report on app-store age assurance

    Covers Apple's and Google's app-store protections and the age-range APIs.

    Regulation · Ofcom · Apple, Google

  7. Spring 2027

    Under-16 social media restrictions targeted to come into force

    The largest change to UK age checks since July 2025.

    Government · gov.uk

What has happened

  1. xgroovy.com fined £730,000; provisional decisions issued to Cyberitic and ZD Media

    £700,000 plus £30,000.

    Enforcement · Ofcom enforcement programme

  2. Grindr updates its UK age assurance help article

    Video selfie, or selfie plus ID, with FaceTec liveness; Grindr states documents and videos are deleted after the check.

    Service change · Grindr · Grindr

  3. Novi Ltd (joi.com) investigation closed

    Closed as no longer an administrative priority after age assurance was implemented.

    Enforcement · Ofcom

  4. Ofcom opens a section 12 investigation into TikTok's age inference; government rules out limiting VPNs for now

    First update on the TikTok investigation expected around October 2026. Ofcom and the ICO are to report by the end of October 2026 on how platforms can detect and prevent VPN use to reach age-gated content.

    Enforcement · Ofcom · TikTok

  5. Ofcom publishes its statutory Report on the use of age assurance

    More than 69 million checks across a 32-service sample between July and December 2025 (the 32 names are redacted). Facial age estimation the most-offered method, then photo ID. Children encountering highly effective age assurance rose from 25% to 43%. 23 investigations, 7 providers fined, £4.955 million in total. Age inference is not a highly effective method and must be replaced or supplemented without delay.

    Regulation · Ofcom

  6. fapello.com fined £630,000

    £600,000 plus £30,000. One research source still lists this investigation as open from 12 May 2026; the fine is recorded from the other. Confirm on Ofcom's register.

    Enforcement · Ofcom enforcement programme

  7. Written statement HCWS160: certified digital IDs to be accepted for alcohol sales

    The Mandatory Licensing Conditions are to be amended so that digital IDs certified under the Digital Verification Services framework are accepted, target autumn 2026.

    Government · Biometric Update (statement page blocked to the fetcher)

  8. First Time Videos LLC fined £80,000

    Under section 81.

    Enforcement · Ofcom enforcement programme

  9. Investigation opened into Bit Hive (eporner)

    Part 5 age-assurance investigation.

    Enforcement · Ofcom enforcement programme

  10. Government announces a social media ban for under-16s

    Named: Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and X. Messaging apps such as WhatsApp and Signal excluded. Regulations to be laid before the end of 2026, in force in spring 2027.

    Government · gov.uk · Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube and Google Account, X and Grok

  11. PlayStation's UK and Ireland age check becomes mandatory for chat, parties and broadcasting

    Mobile contract check, facial estimation or ID through Yoti. FAQ updated this date.

    Service change · PlayStation support · PlayStation · Yoti

  12. Youngtek Solutions Ltd fined £600,000

    £500,000 plus £100,000.

    Enforcement · Ofcom enforcement programme

  13. Tumblr gates mature-labelled content for UK users through k-ID

    ID, on-device face scan, bank check (ConnectID) or AgeKey.

    Service change · Tumblr changes · Tumblr · k-ID

  14. Aylo returns for UK iOS users via Apple's device check; Meta announces AI age assurance

    Aylo accepts Apple's device-level signal on iOS only. Meta describes age assurance from text and visual signals with correction through Yoti or ID.

    Service change · Meta newsroom https://about.fb.com/news/2026/05/ai-age-assurance-teens · Pornhub, YouPorn, RedTube · Apple, Yoti

  15. Children's Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026 receives Royal Assent

    Section 70 inserts section 214A into the Online Safety Act: a power for ministers to require providers to prevent or restrict children's access. In force at Royal Assent.

    Regulation · legislation.gov.uk

  16. Ofcom and ICO joint statement on age assurance; Apple's UK device-level age check ships in iOS 26.4

    The joint statement says methods must be necessary, effective for the purpose and proportionate to the level of risk. Apple's check uses a credit card, account information or an ID scan; Ofcom welcomed it, the Age Verification Providers Association disputes that it meets the highly-effective standard.

    Regulation · Biometric Update · Apple devices · Apple

  17. Spanish data protection authority (AEPD) fines Yoti €950,000

    €500,000 for unlawful biometric processing, €200,000 for invalid consent, €250,000 for excessive retention. Yoti rejects the decision and is appealing. The two research reports give the decision date as 10 March and 25 March 2026; the AEPD resolution itself was not fetched.

    Vendor · Wikipedia (secondary) · Yoti

  18. 4chan fined £520,000

    £450,000 for age-check failures plus £50,000 and £20,000; daily penalties from 2 April 2026. 4chan has said it will not pay.

    Enforcement · Ofcom enforcement programme

  19. Ofcom and the ICO write to Meta, TikTok, YouTube, Snapchat, Roblox and X

    The services must enforce their minimum ages with highly effective age assurance and report by 30 April 2026. One research source dates the letters 13 March and omits X.

    Enforcement · Lewis Silkin summary · TikTok, YouTube and Google Account, Snapchat, Roblox, X and Grok

  20. Government launches the "Growing up in the online world" consultation

    Consultation CP 1528 on children's access to social media, closing 26 May 2026.

    Government · legislation.gov.uk (explanatory note)

  21. ICO fines Reddit £14.47 million; Discord drops Persona and delays its global rollout

    ICO: no lawful basis for under-13 data, no data protection impact assessment before January 2025, self-declaration only until July 2025. Discord ends its Persona trial after a researcher reported an exposed Persona front end and moves to k-ID and Veratad.

    Enforcement · Osborne Clarke summary (ICO page blocked to the fetcher) · Reddit, Discord · Persona, k-ID, Veratad

  22. 8579 LLC fined £1,400,000

    £1,350,000 under section 12 plus £50,000, with £1,000 a day until compliant.

    Enforcement · Ofcom enforcement programme

  23. Kick Online Entertainment S.A. (motherless.com) fined £830,000

    £800,000 under section 12 plus £30,000; non-compliance from 25 July to 29 December 2025. Not the Kick streaming service.

    Enforcement · Ofcom enforcement programme

  24. Aylo blocks new UK users

    Existing verified accounts keep access; new UK visitors are blocked (an iOS route returned on 5 May 2026).

    Service change · CNN https://www.cnn.com/2026/02/02/uk/uk-pornography-restricted-access-intl · Pornhub, YouPorn, RedTube

  25. Investigation opened into Novi Ltd (joi.com)

    Under sections 12 and 36. Closed on 31 July 2026 after age assurance was implemented.

    Enforcement · Ofcom

  26. Ofcom opens an investigation into X over Grok imagery, including its age assurance

    The investigation covers whether X used highly effective age assurance.

    Enforcement · Ofcom · X and Grok

  27. Roblox requires an age check to use chat, worldwide

    Persona facial age estimation or ID.

    Service change · Roblox newsroom · Roblox · Persona

  28. House of Lords debate: children, age verification and virtual private networks

    Debate on whether further measures on VPNs are needed. The Hansard page was not readable by this site's fetcher; listed from the research index.

    Government · Hansard

  29. AVS Group Ltd (18 sites) fined £1,050,000

    £1,000,000 under section 12 plus £50,000, with £1,000 a day from 6 December 2025 until compliant.

    Enforcement · Ofcom enforcement programme

  30. Itai Tech Ltd fined £55,000; provisional decisions issued to 8579 LLC and Kick Online Entertainment

    £50,000 under section 81 and £5,000 under section 102(8).

    Enforcement · Ofcom enforcement programme

  31. Government: no current plans to ban VPNs

    A minister says there are no current plans to ban the use of VPNs but that nothing is off the table.

    Government · Press reports (LBC, Yahoo)

  32. 4chan fined £20,000 for ignoring information requests

    The first fine under the Online Safety Act, for failing to respond to Ofcom's requests.

    Enforcement · Ofcom enforcement programme

  33. Twitch begins on-device face-scan checks through k-ID

    Optional from this date for streams with mature content labels; mandatory from 13 November 2025.

    Service change · k-ID · Twitch · k-ID

  34. House of Lords debate on VPNs and age checks

    A minister states that services promoting VPN use to defeat age checks could face enforcement action. The duty in question binds regulated services.

    Government · Mishcon de Reya summary

  35. Steam requires a stored credit card for mature content in the UK

    Debit cards are not accepted; the account counts as verified while a valid credit card is stored.

    Service change · Game Developer · Steam

  36. Investigations opened into AVS Group, Kick Online Entertainment, 8579 LLC, Trendio and Duplanto

    Part 5 investigations following the 25 July commencement.

    Enforcement · Ofcom enforcement programme

  37. Xbox announces UK age verification through Yoti; Telegram launches its UK age-verification bot

    Xbox: optional from this date, mandatory in early 2026 for chat, invites, LFG and clubs. Telegram: on-device face scan for the sensitive-content setting, UK only.

    Service change · Xbox Wire · Xbox, Telegram · Yoti

  38. Part 3 children's safety duties in force; enforcement of age checks begins

    Highly effective age assurance required for pornography on user-to-user services. Dating apps including Tinder and Grindr begin gating UK users the same day.

    Regulation · Ofcom enforcement programme · Tinder and Hinge, Grindr

  39. Aylo (Pornhub, YouPorn, RedTube) gates its UK sites

    Email estimation, credit card, mobile operator and open banking offered; Google Wallet added 5 August 2025.

    Service change · Aylo newsroom https://www.aylo.com/newsroom/aylo-upgrades-age-assurance-methods-in-united-kingdom/ · Pornhub, YouPorn, RedTube

  40. Reddit's UK age check goes live with Persona

    Selfie estimation or photo ID before viewing mature communities.

    Service change · Biometric Update · Reddit · Persona

  41. Bluesky announces UK age assurance through Epic's Kids Web Services

    Adult content and direct messages switched off for UK users until a check is completed by credit card, ID or facial estimation.

    Service change · Bluesky · Bluesky · Epic Kids Web Services

  42. First Part 5 age-assurance investigations opened

    Ofcom opens investigations into Itai Tech Ltd (Undress.cc) and Score Internet Group.

    Enforcement · Ofcom enforcement programme

  43. Deadline for children's access assessments under Part 3

    User-to-user and search services had to assess whether children are likely to access them.

    Regulation · Ofcom guidance (PDF)

  44. Ofcom fines the provider of OnlyFans £1.05 million

    The provider gave Ofcom inaccurate information about the challenge age used in its facial age estimation (20 rather than 23).

    Enforcement · Ofcom https://www.ofcom.org.uk/online-safety/protecting-children/ofcom-fines-provider-of-onlyfans-1.05-million · OnlyFans

  45. Part 5 duty in force for services publishing their own pornographic content

    Providers of such content must use highly effective age assurance from this date.

    Regulation · Ofcom guidance (PDF)

  46. Ofcom publishes its statement on age assurance and the guidance on highly effective age assurance

    Seven methods are listed as capable of being highly effective: open banking, photo-ID matching, facial age estimation, mobile-network operator checks, credit card checks, email-based estimation and digital identity services. Self-declaration and payment methods not restricted to adults are not capable.

    Regulation · Ofcom guidance (PDF)

  47. Google receives an ACCS certificate for facial age estimation

    Certificate of conformity: age estimation at EAL3, liveness at EAL1, per press reporting of the certificate.

    Vendor · Biometric Update · Google

  48. ICO publishes its Regulatory Sandbox exit report for Yoti

    The only public ICO document on Yoti's age-estimation processing. Yoti describes it as an audit; the exit report is what is published.

    Vendor · ICO · Yoti

  49. Gambling Commission: age and identity must be verified before a customer can gamble

    New rules remove the previous 72-hour window; operators must verify name, address and date of birth before allowing anyone to deposit or bet. This is the gambling-sector rule the online safety age checks are often compared with.

    Regulation · Gambling Commission

56 events. Compiled 6 September 2026 from Ofcom, the ICO, legislation.gov.uk, gov.uk and the services' and vendors' own pages; where a primary page was not readable by our fetcher, the entry says which secondary source it rests on.