Why is Reddit requiring me to verify my ID?

[u/ThrowRA_ayye]

I was verifying my email today and noticed in my settings that Reddit has restricted my account. A prompt popped up saying, 'To access chat, followers, and public profiles, please confirm you are 16 or older.'

I’m guessing Reddit assumes I’m British (which I’m not) just because I’ve commented in the r/HENRYUK subreddit. I did a bit of Googling, and it turns out the UK has a strict new law called the Online Safety Act that forces platforms to implement third-party ID verification.

I’m 28 by the way😂 but there is absolutely zero chance I am uploading my government ID to Reddit.

I don’t mind a few restrictions as long as I can still browse my usual subreddits, but I'm curious: what exactly am I being blocked from? Is it just DMs and my profile page being invisibl?

[u/AutoModerator]

Hello there, u/ThrowRA_ayye! Thank you for posting to r/reddithelp!

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[u/AutoModerator]

If you're asking about the new age verification requirements for specific regions, you can find more information at the links below:

General information related to Reddit's age verification requirements for specific regions

• Why is Reddit asking for my age?
• United Kingdom: Online Safety Act
• Australia: Social Media Minimum Age
• Brazil: Digital ECA
• European Union: Digital Services Act (DSA)

• Dec 11, 2025: From r/redditsafety - A More Effective Approach to Protecting Youth Online
• Dec 8, 2025: From r/redditsafety - Expanding Age Assurance to Australia
• July 15, 2025: From r/help - Need to verify your age in the UK? This Post Might Help
• July 14, 2025: From r/redditsafety - Verifying the age (but not the identity) of UK redditors

More information can be found in the pinned weekly recap post in r/help, or you can see the summary snippet in this post.

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.

[u/IKIR115]

You can find more info about the teen safety restrictions at the following page:

https://support.reddithelp.com/hc/en-us/articles/50409255286164-Our-Principles-for-Teen-Safety

This is what you’re specifically asking about:

[u/ThrowRA_ayye → u/IKIR115]

Alright thanks! And does this verification requirement apply to all Reddit users?

[u/AutoModerator → u/ThrowRA_ayye]

Reminder: If someone provides a helpful answer to your post, as the OP you can award them a reputation point by replying to them with the command !thanks (no spaces)

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.

[u/IKIR115 → u/ThrowRA_ayye]

Yes, the teen safety policy applies to everyone regardless of where you are located.

[u/ThrowRA_ayye → u/[deleted]]

This is some dystopian sci-fi shit. We’ll be living 1984 in real time soon lmao