Overview
- Internet Matters surveyed 1,270 UK children aged 9–16 and their parents, finding 32% had bypassed checks in the past two months and 46% said the checks are easy to beat.
- Children described entering fake birthdays, borrowing logins or IDs, drawing on moustaches to fool face scans, and submitting other people’s faces or video game clips.
- Around 26% of parents said they allowed a workaround, including 17% who helped their child pass a check and 9% who looked the other way.
- Despite the checks, 49% of children said they recently saw harmful material, including violent videos, hateful posts, or content that pushes unrealistic body ideals.
- The findings have prompted calls for fraud-aware age assurance that detects replays and deepfakes, safety-by-design changes, and tougher enforcement, as UK policymakers weigh tighter rules for under‑16s with Australia’s approach in view.