Key Takeaways
- A 2026 Internet Matters survey of 1,270 UK children (aged 9‑16) shows that 46 % find age‑verification methods easy to bypass, while only 17 % consider them difficult.
- Common evasion tactics include drawing fake facial hair, using false birthdates, VPNs, or submitting videos of another person’s face or a cartoon character to trick facial‑recognition systems.
- About one‑quarter of parents admit to allowing their children to sidestep age checks, with 17 % actively helping them do so.
- Despite the rollout of the Online Safety Act’s safeguards, 49 % of surveyed children reported experiencing online harm in the past month.
- Safety‑feature visibility has improved: 68 % of children and 67 % of adults note more reporting tools, content labels, and age‑check prompts, yet overall perceptions of a safer internet remain modest (≈40 % say it is getting safer).
- Experts warn that technological fixes alone cannot outpace children’s ingenuity; parental education and digital‑citizenship skills are essential complements to regulation.
- In the United States, age‑verification policies are fragmented, with 26 states having enacted laws as of 2026, while federal action remains limited.
- Both UK and US stakeholders agree that effective protection requires a blend of robust, “highly effective” age‑assurance technology, clear legal standards, and ongoing parent‑child dialogue about online risks.
Background on the Online Safety Act and Its Age‑Verification Requirements
The UK’s Online Safety Act (OSA), which began phased enforcement in July 2025, obliges online service providers to deploy “highly effective” age‑verification or age‑estimation technologies before granting users access to age‑restricted content. The law aims to curb children’s exposure to harmful material such as pornography, extremist propaganda, and graphic violence. To measure the act’s real‑world impact, Internet Matters conducted its annual survey of over 1,000 families, expanding the sample to 1,270 children and their parents in 2026. The research focused on changes in young users’ online behavior following the OSA’s implementation, assessing both the perceived effectiveness of safeguards and the persistence of risky practices.
Children’s Perceptions of Age‑Verification Evasion
When asked about the difficulty of bypassing age checks, 46 % of respondents said the methods are “easy to bypass,” compared with just 17 % who labeled them “difficult.” This stark gap suggests that many youths view current verification tools as superficial barriers rather than robust gatekeepers. The survey highlighted a range of creative work‑arounds: some children draw fake facial hair or makeup to fool facial‑recognition algorithms; others supply false birthdates, employ virtual private networks (VPNs) to mask their location, or upload videos featuring another person’s face—or even a cartoon character—to trick age‑estimation models into reporting an older age.
Parental Complicity in Circumventing Safeguards
Parental attitudes further undermine the OSA’s intentions. Approximately 26 % of surveyed parents admitted that they have allowed their children to bypass age‑verification systems, with 17 % acknowledging that they actively assisted in the process. This parental permissiveness may stem from a desire to grant children access to popular platforms, a lack of awareness about the specific risks involved, or skepticism about the effectiveness of the checks. Whatever the motivation, such adult involvement directly contributes to the high rate of successful evasion reported by children.
Experiences of Online Harm Despite Protections
Even with the OSA’s safeguards in place, exposure to harmful content remains prevalent. Nearly half of the children surveyed—49 %—said they had encountered something harmful online within the previous month. Harmful experiences ranged from encountering graphic violence and hate speech to being approached by strangers with exploitative intent. These findings indicate that while safety features are becoming more noticeable, they are not yet sufficient to shield a substantial portion of young users from negative online interactions.
Improved Visibility of Safety Features
On a more optimistic note, the survey shows that safety‑feature awareness is rising. Sixty‑eight percent of children and sixty‑seven percent of adults reported seeing more safety tools—such as easier reporting mechanisms, content‑labeling systems, and options to filter or block material—since the OSA’s implementation. Additionally, 53 % of children said they had recently been prompted to verify their age when using a service, suggesting that platforms are increasingly integrating verification steps into user flows. These developments reflect a tangible shift toward greater transparency and user control, even if the underlying efficacy remains contested.
Expert Perspectives on the Limits of Technological Fixes
Rachel Huggins, CEO of Internet Matters, emphasized that progress is visible but incomplete: “Positively, there are clear signs of progress with efforts to improve safety being noticed and supported by both parents and children, such as better reporting tools, more content labelling, and restrictions on certain platform functions. However, children continue to encounter harmful content at concerning rates, and age checks to manage their experiences online—while widespread—are often seen as easy to circumvent.” Harvard Law School professor Leah Plunkett echoed this view, noting that youthful ingenuity in evading rules predates the internet and will persist. She urged parents to cultivate digital‑citizenship skills—such as recognizing misleading content, practicing face‑to‑face communication, and setting device‑free times—as a crucial complement to regulatory measures.
Age‑Verification Landscape in the United States
Unlike the UK’s nationwide approach, age‑verification policy in the United States remains state‑driven. As of 2026, the Free Speech Coalition reports that 26 states have enacted age‑verification or age‑assurance laws, with numerous additional bills pending or under consideration. States such as Louisiana pioneered the trend in 2022, and others across the political spectrum have followed suit, motivated by concerns over child exploitation and exposure to adult content. Plunkett predicts that more states will adopt age‑assurance frameworks, provided they meet constitutional, ethical, and practical standards, highlighting a growing bipartisan recognition of the need for online safeguards.
Recommendations and Closing Thoughts
The combined UK and US evidence points to a multifaceted solution: regulators must continue refining age‑verification technologies to make them genuinely “highly effective,” platforms should integrate verification seamlessly without overly frustrating legitimate users, and families need robust resources to educate children about online risks. Encouraging open conversations, teaching critical evaluation of digital content, and promoting offline activities can reduce reliance on technical barriers alone. As the internet evolves, so too must the strategies that protect its youngest participants—balancing innovation, enforcement, and empowerment to create a truly safer digital environment.