All the unhinged loopholes people are using to get past the Online Safety Act, as Ofcom responds

Last week, the Online Safety Act came into effect, but already, people on the internet are finding (and sharing) the many loopholes to get past it.

In what is already proving to be an incredibly controversial piece of legislation, with people online accusing the government of censorship, the Online Safety Act essentially banned “sensitive” content without prior age verification. Major adult sites such as PornHub, XNXX, and Redtube have been forced to implement age verification software, as have Reddit, Discord, Twitter, and Bluesky. Wikipedia is currently in legal action against the new law.

Controversial law aside, people have already found ways of circumventing the ban – and Ofcom has even responded to one.

Using a VPN is one of the many Online Safety Act loopholes

VPN group sees demand rise 1,800% as Britons seek to evade online safety law

We should not have to jump through hoops to speak freely

Repeal the Online Safety Act
No to Digital ID
Yes to Digital Bill of Rights

Insist together https://t.co/dCb3CCBR0p pic.twitter.com/ulzVvU2S93

— Alan D Miller (@alanvibe) July 28, 2025

Perhaps the most obvious loophole for the Online Safety Act is to download or pay for a virtual private network, commonly referred to as a VPN. Apps such as NordVPN, ProtonVPN, and ExpressVPN have long been used to dodge annoying paywalls and location-specific content, and it essentially works by creating a secure, encrypted connection between your device and the internet.

Because you can manually select a country you want, it means people can pick, say, the US and completely dodge the effects of the Online Safety Act.

People are using Norman Reedus’ face

People in the UK are using Norman Reedus' highly detailed face from Death Stranding to get past newly imposed age restrictions

He looks so real that it tricks the photo ID system pic.twitter.com/ZO9iSt6FFj

— Dexerto (@Dexerto) July 26, 2025

Though it differs depending on the website you’re trying to access, Discord has employed facial recognition software to estimate the ages of its users. Unfortunately, this has led to some people using the hyper-realistic photography from video games to get in – and it works!

Specifically, people trying to access Discord have been using the face of Norman Reedus from Death Stranding.

Others are using The Sims characters

@proxalert

Let’s make sure you’re you… 🤣 Join the crew for updates & more! 💥➡️👉 proximityalert.space 👈⬅️🪐 #uktiktok #idverify #ageverification #gamingmemes

♬ Confidence (sped up version) – Ocean Alley

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People are also using The Sims’ character creator to get past the legislation, turning their character from side to side as the facial recognition software requires. Even worse, it seems to work with most character creators.

Smaller sites can fall through the cracks

According to new research published by The Telegraph, smaller groups and websites might fall through the cracks of the Online Safety Act. Though not strictly a loophole, experts have warned that people could simply move their sensitive content to a platform without restrictions, essentially bypassing the legislation.

Ofcom has issued a response to the loopholes

📢 From today, platforms that allow porn and harmful content must use age checks to protect children online.

Major tech platforms have already committed to introducing these.

Companies that fail to comply can expect enforcement action. https://t.co/WLTLugQEEH

— Ofcom (@Ofcom) July 25, 2025

While the governing body is yet to comment on some of the more creative solutions, it did respond to people using VPNs as a loophole for the Online Safety Act.

“Our research shows that these are not people that are out to find porn – it’s being served up to them in their feeds,” Oliver Griffiths, group director for online safety at Ofcom, told The Sun.

“And we think that these measures are going to have a really big impact in terms of dealing with that particular problem.

“There will be teenagers – dedicated teenagers – who want to find their way to porn, in the same way as people find ways to buy alcohol under 18. They will use VPNs. And actually, I think there’s a really important reflection here. It’s not just us, in terms of making life safer online. Parents having a view in terms of whether their kids have got a VPN, and using parental controls and having conversations, feels a really important part of the solution.”

Despite the crackdown, more hacks and loopholes are bound to emerge.

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