A note for UK readers about access and age verification
How new age-verification rules affect UK readers, and why we’re concerned
Some UK readers have recently reported being unable to access Planet Nude, even after attempting age verification. We want to explain what’s happening, why it’s occurring now, and what your options are.
Due to the UK’s Online Safety Act, Substack now requires age verification for content it categorizes as “adult” or “potentially harmful.” Under Substack’s own terms, publications that include images with nudity must be self-labeled as 18+, even when that nudity is nonsexual and presented in a journalistic, artistic, or educational context. Because Planet Nude publishes images that include nudity, we fall under this category and are therefore subject to these requirements.
As a result, UK readers may now encounter blurred posts, blocked pages, or disabled features such as comments and chat when visiting the website.
What’s actually changed
It’s worth noting up front that most existing Planet Nude subscribers in the UK may not notice an immediate change, especially if they primarily read via email. Email delivery is unchanged. UK readers who are already subscribed will continue to receive articles in their inbox as usual. The age-verification requirement applies to on-site access, not mailouts. Because of how Substack works, subscribing by email already creates a basic account tied to your address, even if you’ve never logged in or set a password. That means many current subscribers already meet the “logged-in user” requirement and may only encounter prompts if and when they visit the website.
The more frustrating limitation appears for readers who are not logged in, or who arrive via shared links. Substack only allows age verification for logged-in users. If you do not have a free Substack account and are opposed to creating one for whatever reason, there is currently no way to complete verification at all, and some content may remain blurred or inaccessible—even if you are over 18 and otherwise willing to verify.
For readers who do log in, verification may involve a facial scan and, in some cases, uploading government-issued ID. Substack retains an estimate of your age after this process. Paid subscribers are generally treated as pre-verified based on their payment information.
In short: your subscription has not been interrupted, and emails will continue as normal. But visiting the site may now require signing in and completing age verification to view posts, comments, or other features.
Age verification and suppressing speech
More broadly, laws like these—recently enacted in the UK and Australia and advancing rapidly across many U.S. states—follow a consistent and damaging pattern, one we’ve written about on Planet Nude multiple times in the past. They are often introduced as narrowly targeted child-safety measures, but in practice they function as sweeping access controls on lawful speech.
Age-verification laws reshape access and the open internet in all kinds ways beyond adding an inconvenient hurdle to access. They also normalize identity checks, biometric scans, and data retention as prerequisites for reading. In doing so, they erode anonymity and place disproportionate burdens on independent publishers, artists, educators, and journalists who lack the resources or leverage of large commercial platforms. Nonsexual nudity, in particular, is repeatedly caught in the dragnet and treated as inherently suspect regardless of context or intent.
We did not choose this system, and we share many of the concerns raised about it. Requiring accounts, biometric scans, or identification to read lawful journalism creates real barriers to privacy, access, and free expression. It also undermines the expectation that reading—especially casual or exploratory reading—can be done without surveillance or friction.
Where Planet Nude stands
While Substack has publicly acknowledged that laws like these introduce friction and chill expression, the platform’s chosen method of compliance has added to our own growing concerns. We have already written to Substack to express those concerns directly. If this trend continues, we are seriously considering our options for a platform change in the future. We have resisted that step until now because it would be complex, costly, and potentially disruptive for readers, but our commitment to open, accessible publishing ultimately has to outweigh the convenience of staying put.
For now, Planet Nude begrudgingly remains on Substack, and we want to make this process as painless as possible for UK readers who wish to continue reading. If you’re in the UK and running into access issues, here are a few practical tips:
You will need a free Substack account to verify your age. Without one, verification is not possible.
If you already pay for any Substack subscriptions with a credit card, you may already be considered verified.
If prompted, the selfie verification is usually the fastest option; ID upload is only required if that fails.
Once verified, you should not be asked again, and previously blocked content should unlock.
We’re sorry for the frustration this causes—especially for readers who have followed Planet Nude precisely because we value openness, accessibility, and thoughtful discussion of nudity as culture and politics. None of this reflects a change in our editorial values. It reflects a shifting regulatory and platform environment that we are navigating alongside you.
We’ll continue to monitor the situation, press the platform where we can, and keep readers informed if better options or alternatives emerge. 🪐
Well, now that is frustrating for many followers. I am disappointed in how so many restrictions are being put in place. I didn't think Substack would take that route, but here we are. Keep up the great work regardless of the circumstances.
I haven’t read the original article yet. I would like to but it seems Substack already has some sort of age verification which so far I have been unable to access. So I can comment but I can’t read the original. How weird is that?