Video game so realistic people are using character's face to bypass online age restrictions

The purveyors of pornography might find themselves in a 'sticky' situation when it comes to the new age verification laws, but by the sounds of it, something of a Streisand Effect is happening.

It's only when you take something away from someone that they realize how much they miss it.

Following in the footsteps of the USA banning the likes of Pornhub in 17 states and a brief ban in France following protests of new age verification rules, various X-rated sites have been spanked with new legislation in the United Kingdom.

While not outright banned like in China and Thailand, Pornhub is asking users to jump through hoops as part of the UK Online Safety Act.

Even though it's relatively simple to access these materials by checking credit card details, providing ID, or using modern AI facial age estimation software, it's an extra step that many are furious at.

We were already warned that new ID checks were on the way, with some calling out a nanny state and comparing it to George Orwell's 1984 amid complaints that the government is trying to collect information on its citizens. There's been a major backlash that actual scenes of pornography have been shown in a British documentary, and yet, residents still have to verify their age to access adult websites.

Despite a spike in VPNs as disgruntled adults try to circumnavigate the rules, you're told that using this method could land you in hot water.

Apparently, others are turning to the world of gaming to get around the issue, and while we'd like to reiterate we'd advise you to stick to the law, it's a pretty ingenious method.

There are numerous reports that randy gamers are using Death Stranding's photo mode and the face of Norman Reedus' Sam Porter Bridges from both the 2019 original and 2025's Death Stranding 2: On the Beach to trick the age verification software.

It seems plenty of you are onto the horny hack, with one person writing, "For no reason in particular, here is a series of screenshots of Sam Porter Bridges doing various things at the camera," before sharing a series of different facial expressions.

Kojima Productions prides itself on the realism of the Death Stranding games, and apparently, this can be used to fool the supposedly advanced software. For those who struggle to grow a beard and are stuck looking baby-faced despite being over the age of 18, Reedus is here to help.

It's not just porn sites, with 18+ Discord channels and Reddit threads also being fooled by The Walking Dead star's grizzled face.

PC Gamer confirmed how hardware writer James Bentley tried the workaround and successfully bypassed the 'robust' age checks. The K-id Discord ID verification tries to be more sophisticated than the others by asking users to open and close their mouths to verify it's a real person, but thanks to Death Stranding's photo mode, you can trick it in a matter of seconds.

Although there are sure to be those who complain about outlets highlighting the issue, it exposes a potentially massive problem that adult sites will have to address to comply with new laws around the globe.

Even if you manage to clamp down on using Death Stranding, we're pretty sure someone will find another loophole quicker than the runtime of the average porn video.