Some children are proving to be one-step ahead of age-verification systems, by simply drawing on fake mustaches with makeup pencils. A survey found that half of the kids surveyed could easily bypass online age checks.

The U.K.-based nonprofit Internet Matters discovered that children often knew how to get around these blocks, either through personal experience or by learning from others. Facial hair was one technique highlighted as working in multiple instances, leading to a cheeky workaround for those seeking content beyond their years.

Age-verification laws are becoming increasingly common worldwide, particularly in the U.S., where half of all states now have such measures in place. These systems range from requesting users upload government documents to using creepy algorithms that guess ages based on facial features.

The proliferation of these checks has sparked criticism for creating databases susceptible to hacking and leaks, potentially compromising personal information. Companies like Apple and web giants such as Reddit are implementing various strategies to comply with these laws, often facing backlash from users concerned about their privacy.

This isn't the first time kids have found ways around age-verification systems; pointing a webcam at video game characters or making funny faces also worked for some. The future of digital ID might just be more about what we draw on our faces than what documents we hold up!