Kids say they can beat age checks by drawing on a fake mustache
Many UK children report being able to easily bypass online age checks required under the Online Safety Act, with some using simple methods like drawing on a fake mustache. Nearly half of surveyed kids said age verification systems were easy to fool, while a significant number admitted to accessing age-restricted content. Some parents also contribute by helping their children bypass these checks or ignoring the behavior.
- ▪46% of UK children said age checks are easy to bypass, while 17% said they are difficult to fool.
- ▪Children have used methods such as drawing fake mustaches, using video game characters, or entering false birthdates to bypass age verification.
- ▪17% of parents admitted to actively helping their children bypass age checks, and an additional 9% turned a blind eye.
- ▪Only 32% of children reported actually bypassing age checks, despite finding them easy to circumvent.
- ▪The survey was conducted by the UK online safety group Internet Matters, covering over 1,000 children and their parents.
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Research 2 Kids say they can beat age checks by drawing on a fake mustache 2 46% say age checks are easy to bypass, and nearly a third admit getting around them Brandon Vigliarolo Mon 4 May 2026 // 20:50 UTC It’s been months since the UK government began requiring stronger age checks under the Online Safety Act, and recent research suggests those measures are falling short of keeping kids away from harmful content. In some cases, even drawing on a mustache has been reported as enough to fool age detection software. Like keeping booze away from teenagers or nudie mags out of the hands of young lads, slapping a big “restricted, 18+” label on parts of the internet hasn't stopped kids testing the limits. Those limits, according to UK online safety group Internet Matters, are easy to sidestep.
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