Kids say they can beat age checks by drawing on a fake mustache

Internet Matters' survey of over 1,000 UK children reveals that age verification measures under the Online Safety Act are largely ineffective, with 46% reporting age checks are easy to bypass. Simple tactics like fake birthdays, borrowed ID cards, video game characters, and even drawn mustaches are commonly used to fool detection systems. The research also shows that 17% of parents actively help children evade age checks, undermining the policy's core objective of protecting minors from harmful online content.