The United Kingdom's Online Safety Act has become a masterclass in how not to implement digital age verification. As Australia prepares its own world-first ban on social media for children under 16, the UK's catastrophic rollout offers critical lessons about privacy invasion, technical failure, and public backlash that Australia must heed to avoid creating a surveillance dystopia under the guise of child protection.
Within hours of the UK's full implementation on July 25, 2025, VPN downloads surged 1,400% and nearly half a million citizens signed petitions demanding repeal. More troubling still, the system is trivially bypassed by teenagers using photos from video games like Death Stranding, while simultaneously forcing all adults to surrender intimate personal data to access legal content. This represents exactly the kind of privacy-invasive, technically ineffective approach that Australia can—and must—avoid.
UK Implementation Reveals Fundamental Flaws
The UK's approach has proven both invasive and ineffective. Adults must verify their age using methods including ID uploads, AI-powered facial scans, or bank details submitted to third-party verifiers. These systems are not only burdensome, but also riddled with privacy issues—leaving users’ sensitive data exposed to commercial interests and potential breaches.
The public’s response was swift. Proton VPN saw a 1,400% spike in UK signups, and Google searches for VPNs surged. Meanwhile, teens bypassed the system using screenshots of hyper-realistic video game characters, tricking the AI facial scans.
One teenager reportedly used a cutscene from Death Stranding—a game starring actor Norman Reedus—and the system couldn’t tell it wasn’t a real face. While kids slip through with ease, adults are penalised with privacy invasions just to access legal content.
The Surveillance Capitalism Connection
Behind the UK's age verification lies a profitable industry of surveillance tech vendors. Companies like Yoti, AU10TIX, and others market these tools under the banner of safety while monetising user data. AU10TIX, used by TikTok and Uber, left admin credentials exposed for over a year. Yoti shares encrypted data with Experian and Equifax for fraud and marketing purposes.
Users don’t get to choose their verification provider, and sites can silently track verified users across the web. This builds detailed profiles without consent and undermines digital anonymity entirely.
Vulnerable Populations Bear the Greatest Cost
LGBTQ+ youth and vulnerable communities are disproportionately harmed by these systems. Many live in homes where their online activity must remain private for safety. Age verification requiring parental involvement or ID upload risks outing these individuals or cutting them off from essential digital support systems.
These systems also show racial and gender bias. Facial recognition misidentifies people of colour and women more frequently, causing even greater exclusion. Australia’s Opportunity to Choose a Better Path Australia’s under-16 social media ban takes effect December 2025. The legislation leaves room for implementation choices—and that’s where we can get it right. Unlike the UK, our government has not mandated ID as the only method, and has funded a $6.5M trial exploring privacy-preserving alternatives.
We can still choose to use technology that verifies age without invading privacy.
Technical Alternatives That Preserve Privacy
Zero-knowledge proofs (ZKPs) allow users to prove they’re over a certain age without revealing their exact identity. These are already being trialled in Europe and supported by big players like Google. Token-based age credentials, stored on-device, prevent cross-platform tracking and decentralise control.
France’s double-blind system separates verification from service access. These kinds of approaches work with existing browser and device tools, avoiding the need for repeat uploads or central databases.
Policy Recommendations for Australia
• Mandate privacy-preserving technology like ZKPs or anonymous tokens. • Prohibit data sharing with advertisers, data brokers, or non-essential third parties. • Require local device storage and prevent creation of centralised databases. • Allow users to choose their verification method and revoke it at any time. • Establish independent oversight, transparent audits, and sunset clauses for all implementations.
The Choice Before Us
Australia can lead the world in smart, privacy-first age verification—or it can repeat the UK’s mistakes and suffer the same public backlash.
Protecting children and preserving privacy aren’t mutually exclusive. But that balance won’t happen by accident. It takes smart policy, clear technical guidance, and a refusal to trade civil liberties for false comfort.
The UK’s VPN surge and 500,000 angry signatures show what happens when we get this wrong.
We still have time to get it right.## Don't reuse the Title listed above as the start of the markdown.