If you're in the UK, you've probably noticed it. Since the summer of 2025, sites that used to let you straight in started asking you to prove your age with a selfie, a bank check, or an ID scan.
That's the Online Safety Act in action. It's one of the biggest changes to how the internet works in Britain, and it affects chat and video chat sites more than most. Here's what actually changed, without the legal jargon.
A quick note: this is a plain-English overview for users, not legal advice.
What the Online Safety Act is
The Online Safety Act became law in October 2023. The core idea is simple. Platforms that let people talk to each other or share content are now legally responsible for dealing with illegal material and for protecting children from harmful content.
That covers a huge range of services: social media, forums, gaming chat, dating apps, and yes, random chat and video chat sites. The regulator in charge is Ofcom, the same body that oversees TV and broadband.
The key dates
The Act didn't switch on all at once. Ofcom rolled it out in phases, and two dates matter most for everyday users.
17 March 2025: the illegal content duties became enforceable. Platforms now have to assess the risk of illegal content on their service, like child sexual abuse material, terrorism or fraud, and act to reduce it.
25 July 2025: the Protection of Children Codes came into force. This is the date most people noticed, because it's when serious age checks started appearing across the UK internet.
Why you're seeing age checks everywhere
The children's codes say services that allow the most harmful kinds of content, like pornography, or content promoting self-harm, suicide or eating disorders, must use "highly effective" age assurance to stop children from seeing it.
Ofcom has been clear that a simple "I'm over 18" tick box doesn't count as highly effective. So platforms turned to methods like facial age estimation from a selfie, checks through your bank or mobile provider, or photo ID matching.
Annoying? Sometimes. But it's a direct response to the problems that sank sites like the original Omegle, which shut down in 2023 partly because children kept ending up in chats with adults. We covered that story in what happened to Omegle.
What it means for chat and video chat sites
Random chat is exactly the kind of service the Act was written with in mind: strangers, live video, and very little control over who you meet. In practice, UK users are seeing a few changes.
More age verification. Expect more sites to ask you to verify your age before matching, especially video chat services.
Better reporting. Platforms must offer clear, easy ways to report illegal and harmful content, and act on those reports.
Some sites leaving the UK. A few smaller services decided compliance wasn't worth it and blocked UK visitors entirely rather than build age checks.
Real consequences. Ofcom can fine companies up to £18 million or 10% of their qualifying worldwide revenue, whichever is bigger, and has already opened investigations and issued fines.
Does this make chat sites safe now?
Safer, not safe. Age checks and reporting tools help, but no law can stop someone from screen-recording a call, or stop a scammer from trying their luck. Your own habits still matter most.
The basics haven't changed. Don't share your full name, school, workplace or socials with someone you just met. Be wary of anyone pushing you to move to another app. And assume anything you show on camera could be saved. Our random video chat safety guide goes through all of this.
What about VPNs?
Lots of people in the UK looked into VPNs after the age checks arrived. Using a VPN is legal in the UK. But a VPN doesn't change the rules a site must follow, and plenty of chat sites block VPN traffic anyway to fight spam. And if you're under 18, the age checks exist for a reason.
How to report things in the UK
If you see something harmful, report it to the platform first, using the report button inside the chat. Most sites, Omingle included, have one in every conversation.
For images or videos of child sexual abuse, report them to the Internet Watch Foundation (iwf.org.uk). If a child is being groomed or is at risk, report to CEOP, the National Crime Agency's child protection command. If someone is in immediate danger, call 999.
The bottom line
The Online Safety Act means more friction: more age checks, more verification, more "prove it." But it's also pushed chat platforms to take safety seriously in a way that, frankly, the industry didn't do on its own.
For adults who just want a good conversation with a stranger, the experience still works. It's just a bit more grown-up now. If you want to see how different sites compare on safety, read our guide to anonymous text chat or our list of the best chat sites.