"British gaming enthusiasts are utilizing 'Death Stranding' to circumvent age verification regulations"
In the digital age, video games and social media platforms have become intertwined, and recently, a surprising loophole has been discovered. The hyper-realistic photo modes in video games, particularly from Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, have proven effective in bypassing age verification systems on online platforms like Discord and Reddit in the UK.
This workaround emerged following the UK’s implementation of the Online Safety Act, a set of laws aimed at preventing children from accessing porn or other "harmful" content. Discord and Reddit, using facial recognition services such as Persona and k-ID, have been specifically noted as vulnerable; users demonstrated bypassing these facial scans by presenting the game character in photo mode, sometimes even fulfilling interactive prompts like opening and closing the mouth or turning the face.
The exploit underscores a broader concern over the effectiveness of such biometric-based age verification systems, especially when faced with highly realistic digital avatars. In response, Ofcom, the U.K.'s media regulator, has stated that platforms like Bluesky, Discord, Grindr, Reddit, and X have committed to adding age verification systems to their platforms.
Meanwhile, in the U.S., nine states have passed laws requiring parental consent or age verification for social media platforms. The specific source for this information was not specified in the article. Similarly, laws requiring age verification for porn sites have passed in nearly half the states.
Interestingly, some of these age verification methods are not all that hard to trick, as confirmed by The Verge and PCGamer after trying Sterkhov's hack. This was first demonstrated by Dany Sterkhov, a user on a video game platform, who posted on July 25 about bypassing Discord's age verification check using the photo mode in the video game Death Stranding.
To bypass Discord's age verification check, one can use the photo mode in the video game Death Stranding to scan the face of Sam Bridges. However, the trick did not work with Bluesky's system, which uses Yoti for age verification.
Another method to bypass age checks is through the use of VPNs. VPNs allow people to browse the web as if they were in a different location, making it easier to bypass the U.K.'s age checks. Companies that fail to comply with the new laws could face fines of up to 18 million pounds ($24.2 million) or 10% of their global revenue, whichever amount is higher. Most of these companies rely on third-party platforms to handle age verification, which typically give users the option to upload a government-issued photo ID or submit photos of themselves.
Dame Melanie Dawes, an executive at Ofcom, stated that prioritizing clicks and engagement over children's online safety will no longer be tolerated in the U.K. This new development underscores the ongoing need for robust and effective age verification systems to protect children online.
- The discovery of a loophole in online platforms like Discord and Reddit has raised concerns about the effectiveness of technology-based age verification systems, as demonstrated by the hyper-realistic photo modes in video games, such as Death Stranding 2: On the Beach.
- The photo mode in video games, like Death Stranding, can be used to bypass age verification checks on platforms like Discord, as demonstrated by Dany Sterkhov, a user on a video game platform.
- Despite the emergence of loopholes in technology-based age verification systems, some companies such as Bluesky are employing alternative methods like Yoti for age verification to ensure children's online safety.
