United Kingdom. The Online Safety Act is now in force with escalating obligations in 2025. Ofcom requires robust age checks for pornographic content, with potential fines up to 10% of global turnover. Guidance recognizes multiple technical approaches, but the policy direction is clear: strong assurance with minimal risk to users. Platforms that host or promote adult content are within scope, and enforcement ramps through 2025. The practical challenge is delivering robustness without overexposure of personal data. In parallel, the UK is advancing government-backed digital identity infrastructure and exploring how age assurance and verified digital identity could extend to social media and other online services.
France. ARCOM has issued technical guidance to block minors’ access to pornography. The CNIL advocates a trusted-third-party approach that separates proof from identity and minimizes data flows. France also requires parental consent for under-15s on social networks, pushing platforms to standardize age assurance. Parliament has pursued inquiries into the operations and systemic impacts of platforms such as TikTok, while European supervision under the DSA expands transparency duties and risk-mitigation requirements.
United States. In the absence of a unified federal framework, a growing number of state laws require age verification for adult sites. Litigation has narrowed some provisions, but the core requirement to verify age is generally holding. Several large sites have limited access in specific states rather than collect and store sensitive identity data. The policy environment accelerates toward mandatory age checks, even as the legal contours vary by jurisdiction.
European Union and the DSA. Very large platforms must assess and mitigate systemic risks and provide greater transparency for researchers and regulators. 2025 has seen pre-findings and formal proceedings that tighten scrutiny over content distribution, profiling, and age assurance. The direction of travel is toward stronger accountability without prescribing a single technical method.