LGBT Q&A: What Data Are Companies in the UK Collecting When Verifying My Age?

If you use social media in the UK, you've probably hit an age-verification wall. Since July twenty twenty-five, websites flagged by the UK government as containing harmful content must confirm you're at least eighteen. But what data do these checks actually collect? According to the Electronic Frontier Foundation, it depends entirely on the method. Some platforms use facial age estimation—you take a selfie, their software analyzes your face, and it's deleted immediately after. Others use photo-ID matching, far more intrusive: you upload your driving license or passport alongside a photo, and a company like Incode compares them. Here's the problem: Incode doesn't automatically delete that data once verification is done. Discord learned this the hard way—their old age-verification system left user IDs and selfies sitting on their support forum until a massive data breach exposed them all. The Electronic Frontier Foundation advises checking what each platform collects, who has access during the process, how long they retain it, and whether independent security auditors have actually verified their claims. Your privacy implications vary wildly depending on which method a platform uses.

Listen to this story

Hear this and more stories in a personalized audio briefing.

Open The Chonkerton