UK’s Online Safety Act Defeated By 12-Year-Old Using VPN and Mom’s Phone
KEY POINTS
- •The UK implemented the Online Safety Act with age restrictions on internet content starting summer 2025.
- •Users found creative bypass methods, notably using Death Stranding’s photo mode to trick face scans.
- •VPN apps surged in popularity, dominating 5 of the top 10 free apps on Apple’s iOS store.
- •WindscribeVPN data highlighted the ease of circumventing checks by spoofing IP addresses abroad.
In a grand display of human stubbornness, Britain’s Online Safety Act rolled out summer age restrictions which netizens promptly kicked to the curb using clever hacks. While the videogame Death Stranding got a cameo as a face-scan bypass tool, the true MVP was the humble VPN. Mere days after the law’s debut in 2025, BBC reported that half of the top 10 free iOS apps were VPNs. WindscribeVPN’s shared stats confirmed users just pretended to live outside the UK, making age checks about as effective as a chocolate teapot. Congrats, internet—mission sabotage accomplished.
Share the Story
(1 of 3)Brits turned online age checks into a VPN amusement park; who needs laws when you have digital disguise power-ups?
The UK’s ‘strict’ online age check got ghosted faster than your last Tinder date—VPNs did the disappearing act.
When UK law tries to gatekeep content, Brits just grab their VPN keys and ghost those guards with style.
Source: Theverge | Published: 11/27/2025 | Author: Dominic Preston
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