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Children in the UK are reportedly exploiting clever workarounds, including drawing fake moustaches on their faces with makeup pencils, to fool automated AI facial recognition systems designed to restrict underage access to online platforms
The creative tactics were highlighted in a comprehensive study by London-based child safety non-profit Internet Matters, titled The Online Safety Act: Are Children Safer Online?. The investigation surveyed 1,270 parents and children aged 9 to 16 across the country to evaluate the real-world impact of Britain's digital safety laws.
According to the survey, approximately one-third of children were able to bypass age verification checks
While entering false birthdates remains the most prevalent method, increasingly stringent facial-estimation software has forced tech-savvy minors to adopt far more imaginative techniques.
In one instance, a mother recounted catching her 12-year-old son drawing facial hair on himself with an eyebrow pencil, which successfully fooled the automated system into classifying him as a 15-year-old.
Beyond cosmetic tricks, young Internet users are employing sophisticated digital workarounds to evade facial scans
Children reported submitting photos or video footage of other individuals, using virtual private networks (VPNs), and even holding up animated video clips of hyper-realistic video game characters.
In several notable cases, children used photo-mode footage of the character Sam Porter Bridges from the video game Death Stranding — modelled after actor Norman Reedus — to simulate the head-turning movements required by facial-verification algorithms.
A realistic mirror scene from 'Death Stranding', featuring Sam Porter Bridges, who was modelled after Norman Reedus.
Image via PolygonThe study revealed widespread confidence among youth regarding their ability to outsmart digital barriers
Overall, 46% of surveyed children described age verification checks as easy to beat, compared to a mere 17% who considered them difficult. That figure rose to 52% among teenagers aged 13 and above. Parental oversight also appears surprisingly lax; roughly 26% of parents admitted to letting their children bypass age checks, with 17% actively assisting their kids so they could play video games or access social media platforms.
These widespread circumventions come in the wake of the UK's landmark Online Safety Act, which came into force in July 2025 to compel digital services to protect minors from harmful content.
The findings carry significant implications for Malaysia, where the government has rolled out its "Tunggu 16" initiative under the Child Protection Code of the Online Safety Act
Under the regulations enforced by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), licensed social media platforms must implement strict electronic Know Your Customer (eKYC) age verification using official government documents like MyKad or passports to bar users under 16 from registering.
As local authorities move away from simple self-declaration, the circumvention tactics seen in the UK highlight the ongoing challenge regulators face in ensuring that technical controls cannot be easily outsmarted by determined teenagers.
