One of the ways we try to keep kids safe online is by filtering and blocking access to 18+ websites – as classified by the BBFC (British Board of Film Classification). All our O2 SIM cards come with this in place due to Ofcom regulations.
What does this mean for you?
We’ll check you’re over 18 If you try to access adult content on the internet. You might get a ‘Timed out’ or ‘No Response’ message if you’re trying to visit a secure site (HTTPS).
How do I verify my age?
If you want to access 18+ content, you’ll first need to prove that you’re at least 18 years old. There are three ways you can do this and, once you do, we’ll take off the filters and won’t ask again.
Pay Monthly customers can log in to My O2. and select ‘Age restricted content’ from the dropdown menu under My O2 to the left of the page. Next, choose the level of content filtering that’s right for you.
Go to one of our shops with photo ID (passport or driving licence).
Prove you have a credit card on our age verification page.
You can find out more about age verification by reading our blog on The Blue.
Where can I find out more about online safety for kids?
Explore our online safety page
Pop into an O2 store and chat to one of the team
Internet Matters offer expert advice and practical tips to support your family online
You can also set up the Parental Control service, which makes sure your children can only go to sites that are suitable for them. Go to parentalcontrol.o2.co.uk to set it up.
What should I do if age restriction isn’t working?
The above protections won’t work if you’re using a VPN or handset encryption. Instead, you can install parental controls and secure them with a passcode. This will make sure that your child is only able to access age-appropriate content.
If you're not sure about any techy terms, check out our jargon buster.
Age restriction and age verification FAQs
Sometimes we might block a site by mistake. Or we might miss an adult site that should be blocked. If this happens, simply call customer services to let us know.
Some websites contain illegal content and these are automatically blocked to everyone. We can’t unblock those.
You’ll need to verify your age if age restriction shows as being locked on when you log into My O2. To do this, following the steps above will let you turn it off and see adult content.
Yes.
If you’re a Pay Monthly customer, you can remove age restriction by logging in to My O2. You’ll find the ‘Age restricted content’ option to the left of the page under My O2.
Alternatively, you can pop into one of our O2 stores and prove your age using Photo ID.
It won’t always be your O2 settings that stop you from accessing adult content online. If you’re using Wi-Fi, you’ll either need to check your router settings or talk to your ISP.
You might also need to check your settings with services such as Bing or Google, which offer a SafeSearch functionality to help filter out inappropriate content.
If you’re travelling abroad, you may find that certain website categories are blocked due to local rules and regulations e.g., social media or gambling sites.
Last updated: 12/02/2025
