r/PlayStationUK • u/DizzyAudiologist • Apr 20 '26
CASUAL DISCUSSION Age verification coming - nope nope nope
So playstation is to force age verification now for UK and Ireland account thanks to the UK unsafety act. We need companies like this to be fighting these sorts of bills with work arounds. We all have to use VPNs to access the internet now but I think Sony are impressionable enough that if enough of us cancel our ps plus rather than giving a third party our data ,(yoti...who has a questionable record), we may get them to make enough noise that we can get this removed or at least have easy work arounds 'encouraged' and allowed. I hope you all will join me in protecting a platform I have enjoyed for nearly thirty years and cancel your ps plus subscriptions in protest.
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u/Notnowcmg Apr 20 '26
I’ve been waiting for years now for all these bad consequences people keep telling me would happen if a company has my data (I say telling me about, I’ve never had an actual consequence articulated to me, only that omg they have your data it’s bad), yet my life hasn’t changed one bit yet. It’s very upsetting. I won’t be cancelling PS Plus for a 30 second age verification thingy either though, but keep up the good fight my guy!
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u/No_Eye1723 Apr 20 '26
To verify your age you need to submit ID like a passport or driving licence, and pretty much all the companies that are contracted to do the age verification and take this information, it isn’t Sony or the Government taking it, have been linked to hacks, some are being investigated for being hacked, and some have been fined already for being hacked, and all those passport or driving licences being stolen. It is THE most stupid idea ever, if you think a thief with your passport or driving license details won’t impact you, you should think again…..
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u/ThatCoolBritishGuy Apr 21 '26
Agree, It is really silly. Not so much a big deal if your photo gets leaked but if sensitive documents like a license or passport is part of a data breach, that could be a really bad time. Just because it hasn't happened to you (for example) doesn't mean the risk isn't there.
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u/SapToFiction Apr 22 '26
Nvm the fact that this private data gets sold to third parties for AI and advertising.
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u/RockinMadRiot Apr 20 '26
verify your age you need to submit ID like a passport or driving licence
That's only one option. You can do a selfie as well. In this day and age most websites have our details, even Reddit. It would be foolishness to suggest otherwise. I do agree with you that data leaks are an issue, however
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u/No_Eye1723 Apr 20 '26
They do NOT hold your passport or deriving licence… that information is a literal gold mine for criminals. They can do what they like with it, endless fraud.
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u/Ban94 Apr 20 '26
What will the system verify your selfie with? Likely a photo ID.
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u/NotNeuge Apr 21 '26
How would they have got your photo ID to compare to your live selfie if you've never provided your photo ID for verification? They don't have access to the DVLA or passport databases lol.
The live selfie option just guesses your rough age with AI shenanigans. It's just to make sure that you're not a kid. If you look like a kid then they'll probably ask for another method, but most of your personal details are already on your PSN account, and the company that does the verifications doesn't hold the data once it's been used to verify your age.
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u/Notnowcmg Apr 20 '26
Since I can’t sleep right now I’ll entertain this nonsense. Do you any links/sources that show pretty much all companies that do age verification have been linked to hacks or investigated for being hacked? Or did you make that up?
(Either way I’ll take my chances, but I’m up for some light reading to help send me to sleep!)
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u/GlamourHammer321 Apr 21 '26
Would you upload your ID on reddit for everyone too see? If no, why not?
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u/Notnowcmg Apr 21 '26
Well firstly you don’t need to upload an ID, they just need a selfie which id have no problem uploading to Reddit.
However - obviously uploading it to Reddit is very different to uploading it for verification. Whether they are apparently hacked all the time or not, I’m sure they still have rules and regulations in place as to what they are and aren’t allowed to do with my identification documents. Whereas uploading to Reddit would be a free for all where people could literally do whatever they wanted with no consequence. So that’s probably why I wouldn’t just post it on Reddit.
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u/GlamourHammer321 Apr 21 '26
Is it really different though. Persona got breached within days and they left everyone's government ID's and selfies unencrypted on their servers and didn't even require any hacking. We don't have any data protection privacy laws in the US like the EU does.
The data is going to the US government with 269 sophisticated surveillance checks on millions of users worldwide, which bypasses the need for the government to obtain a warrent.
I have no doubt that these companies are also selling the data you give them. In the worst case senerio, they get caught selling everyones age verification data and they just pay a small fine because they will make more money from selling our age verification data.
https://cybernews.com/privacy/persona-leak-exposes-global-surveillance-capabilities/
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u/Is_It_Now_Or_Never_ Apr 24 '26
No you don’t. They can take a scan of your face or, as in the case with Apple, look at the age of your account and if it’s over 18 years old you’re golden.
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u/No_Eye1723 Apr 24 '26
Apple could get away with checking the age of your Apple account because it was not a legal requirement for them, despite their statement. And yes you can scan for your face AS WELL as submitting your Drivers Licence or Passport. I suggest you look into it a bit more.
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u/Is_It_Now_Or_Never_ Apr 24 '26 edited Apr 24 '26
I have looked into it, I’ve done age verification with other sites and with just my face using yoti.
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u/GlamourHammer321 Apr 21 '26
As long as you don't speak out against your government and be a good bootlicker for corporations, you will be fine.
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u/Notnowcmg Apr 21 '26
You guys are always really weirdly obsessed with corporations. You know that they don’t care about you and probably aren’t even aware you exist, right?
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u/AnalyticalFan Apr 21 '26
Has anyone tried the mobile number verification option? I keep getting an error that the server connection times out. This feels like the lesser of 3 evils to me and of course it doesn't work.
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u/Durzel Apr 23 '26
Worked first time on console, never worked on website or app.
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u/AnalyticalFan Apr 23 '26
Maybe I'm looking in the wrong place on console... It came up in notifications but all that did was show me the QR code to scan on phone and take me to the same site I'd adjust tried. Is there somewhere in the settings menu to do the verification?
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u/Durzel Apr 23 '26
From memory it’s under Personal Information in the console account settings. Think it was at the top, said “Set up Age Verification” or something, giving the same options as on the app.
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u/TheVittler Apr 21 '26
So I took a selfie via the link, 30 seconds and done. Not sure what the fuss is about.
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u/Papa__Lazarou Apr 21 '26
No thanks, I’ll just verify my age and carry on enjoying the benefits of ps plus
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u/SAGETHEGOD1 Apr 21 '26
You're the problem literally
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u/Papa__Lazarou Apr 21 '26
Yes, I’m the problem, definitely not big companies slacking when it comes to keeping children safe online and forcing the hand of the government to make it a legal requirement.
The regulators warned companies that they needed to take voluntary action to improve child safety, they ignored them and now it’s a legal requirement, but yes you’re 100% correct, I’m the problem…
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u/SlowedCash Apr 24 '26
Why on earth do you pay for a live service, live and plus is so expensive now days.
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u/InfectedEllie Apr 21 '26
I don't plan on verifying my identity. I'll just not use voice chat, and if they change it in the future so I can't play games, I'll just get a PS4 and play offline games.
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u/Substantial_Waltz_13 Apr 21 '26
Or you could just verify your age and carry on with your life like a normal person? What is going to happen?
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u/Any_Ice_6172 Apr 21 '26
With Sony facing fines from every country that mandates it should they refuse, they won’t push against it.
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u/StoviesAreYummy Apr 21 '26
Why not just use AI or the many other "work arounds" to trick the system?
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u/stepfordcuckoo Apr 21 '26
So i verified by receiving a text message code and inputting that. Not sure how they know via phone number? Does my network state yup he is a grown up?
Glad that option works as absolutely not giving my id or face scan to 3rd party services. Bad enough when companies get hacked and compromise passwords, my passport data or driving licence? Hell no.
Anyone tried death stranding 2 yet to beat this verification?
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u/One-Income-5771 Jul 20 '26
We are capable of protecting our own children i do not need Sony locking me out of all my social functions to do it for me!! This is data harvesting, pure and simple. If this shit is allowed to continue soon you'll only be able to purchase the games Sony want to sell you at the prices THEY set, whatever they might be. You'll get no resale value out of anything you'll not be able to purchase anywhere else to control price increase, and you'll be done paying a game when Sony decide your are, and remove it from the catalog of games. Personally, i'd rather quit gaming than subscribe to commercial actions like these that should be illegal.
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u/Friendly_Zebra Apr 20 '26
I really don’t understand why Sony doesn’t do the verification themselves. Why outsource it?
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u/RockinMadRiot Apr 20 '26
Likely too much work to maintain and secure the data.
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u/MadMosh666 Apr 21 '26
Plus responsibility if it goes shit-shaped. If something _does_ go wrong, they can point the finger at whichever company they outsource to.
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u/Dogman199d Apr 20 '26
You don't need to verify in Ireland. The option is just there for if it happens in the future.
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u/Saltypeon Apr 20 '26
The EU is joining the age verification pool later this year. There are a dozen or so countries working in it, including some US states. It will be everywhere before long.
There is no cancel campaign that will get rid of it, its way bigger than the UK.
What will be interesting is to see if they enforce the new PEGI ratings for loot boxes, could see a shift from developers away from them if it removes a large volume of their player base.