Kids are Using Fake Beards to Bypass Online Age Checks

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Despite efforts by companies like PlayStation and Roblox to keep children safe online with age verification systems, kids are finding clever ways around them – like drawing fake beards on their faces to appear older.

Kids are finding ways around online age checks by drawing fake beards and mustaches on their faces, according to a report by Internal Matters. One parent shared that their 12-year-old drew a mustache with eyeliner and was incorrectly identified as 15 years old by the system.

This highlights a growing problem with how well online age checks actually work. While platforms are implementing stricter rules to comply with laws like the U.K. Online Safety Act, children are quickly finding loopholes. A recent example is the game Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, where players used the game’s realistic character faces to get around age verification systems.

Okay, so just drawing on a fake beard isn’t the only way kids are getting around these age verification systems, which is pretty frustrating. I’ve seen players figure out all sorts of stuff – like using a fake birthday, borrowing a parent or sibling’s phone or tablet, or even using someone else’s ID. Some are even sneaky enough to point the camera at a different person or a picture – I even saw someone use faces from the Death Stranding 2 trailer! It’s a lot more complicated than I thought.

Online platforms are facing increasing pressure to protect children from harmful content and inappropriate areas within games and online spaces. However, these efforts often backfire, as kids are motivated to find loopholes and work around the restrictions. Companies like Meta are trying to use artificial intelligence to detect when children misrepresent their age, but this technology isn’t perfect and can be bypassed.

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2026-05-07 12:45