A surprising discovery has revealed that Death Stranding’s photo mode can circumvent the UK’s new age verification systems, which were implemented on July 25, 2025, under online safety regulations.
According to The Verge, a method shared by user Dany Sterkhov allows players to use the game’s protagonist, Sam Bridges, to deceive facial recognition systems on platforms like Reddit and Discord, raising concerns about the reliability of these tools.
By using the photo mode in Death Stranding and pointing a phone camera at the screen, users can manipulate the image of Sam Bridges to bypass age verification checks. On Discord, which uses k-ID facial recognition, users were instructed to open and close Sam’s mouth. Similarly, Reddit’s Persona service required users to move Sam’s face. Both actions successfully deceived the systems, allowing access to age-restricted content without requiring the sharing of personal information, such as credit card details.
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, 2025However, the trick failed on Bluesky, which employs Yoti’s facial estimation technology, also used by Instagram. This limitation highlights variations in the robustness of different verification tools.
The bypass offers a straightforward solution for adults who wish to avoid sharing sensitive information, but it also exposes vulnerabilities in AI-driven age verification systems. As users showcase demonstrations online, this discovery has sparked discussions about privacy and the effectiveness of facial recognition technology in enforcing age restrictions. Critics argue that this situation exposes weaknesses in the UK’s regulatory framework, which could potentially enable minors to access restricted content.
Brits can get around Discord's age verification thanks to Death Stranding's photo mode, bypassing the measure introduced with the UK's Online Safety Act. We tried it and it works—thanks, Kojima https://t.co/NeMsDkVwPG
— PC Gamer (@pcgamer) July 25, 2025The UK’s online safety regulations are designed to protect users, but this incident reveals challenges in their implementation. Platforms such as Reddit and Discord may need to enhance their verification processes, while developers like Yoti showcase more robust technology. This situation underscores the need to find a balance between user privacy and regulatory compliance in the digital age.
