UK cyber vigilantes generating mock IDs of local MPs to protest Online Safety Act
A cyber rebel in the UK, protesting the age verification crackdown, has launched a site that generates fake driver's licenses using local MPs' names and pictures. But be warned: do not use these or any fake IDs on Pornhub or anywhere else, as it could be considered identity theft.
A software developer, introducing himself as Tim, expresses his concerns about the Online Safety Act with a parody site, use-their-id.com. The site generates AI-generated mock driving licences for local Members of Parliament (MPs) when given a UK postcode.
Tim sees it as a third option for privately accessing content online under the new Online Safety Act, without sending one's own ID to a foreign identity checking service or using a dodgy foreign free VPN service.
“Use a mock of your local MP's ID,” the site suggests.
Cybernews already reported on the new safety laws in the UK, causing users to flock to VPNs as workarounds.
Only at first glance do the AI-generated IDs look convincing. The data in them seems to be generated at random – they seem to prefer one specific physical address pointing to a place with no apparent significance. The fake IDs also lack most of the common visual elements, such as holograms, microtext, etc.
Some generated IDs still include the EU flag with the UK in it.
The guerrilla digital activist assures that the ID number isn’t valid and it shouldn’t be used for anything real.
“I’m not a lawyer, but this is a parody site,” Tim writes.
“I made a site that takes a UK postcode, grabs the local MP's information, and generates an AI mockup of what their ID might look like.”
Yet, this “silly protest at the stupidity of the Online Safety Act” has gathered considerable support on social media. The post on Hacker News collected over 650 points in 10 hours and has over 182 comments.
This is utterly brilliant - generate the driving license of your local MP to bypass the Online Safety Act: https://t.co/Nli6J6hv61
undefined Sebastian David Lees (@sebs_tweets) July 29, 2025
Many people support the protest, thanking Tim for the activism.
“This is great. Weaponizing the stupidity of the idea, compromising it entirely until it's so obviously ineffectual that it's unenforceable, then going after the politicians who pushed it for the waste of money and effort,” one user said.
“Unintended side effect, UK MPs can now watch as much porn as they want with plausible deniability,” another user added.
The popularity caused some technical difficulties:
“My OpenAI credits got hugged to death, please use a known postcode (like one from Keir Starmer's constituency, WC2B6NH) in the meantime,” the author asks.
However, many users rightfully expressed legal concerns – you should never use fake documents anywhere.
Walking the thin line
The mock ID generator is likely a joke, and it is OK to laugh at it. However, using fake documents can lead to serious legal consequences, such as charges of identity theft and fraud, Cybernews researchers warn.
“It is a comedic form of protest against the newly adopted law. However, there can be real legal consequences for such protesters,” warns Aras Nazarovas, a security researcher at Cybernews.
“Do not ever submit fake documents: it is a serious crime.”
If websites actually accepted fake IDs, it would reveal significant weaknesses in their current implementations. It’s unlikely that age-gating systems fail to verify the validity of submitted IDs.
Other experts also warned that MPs can be litigious, especially if their identity is used for fraud.
Everyone is free to express their views, and the developer Tim argues that the Online Safety Act “is a terrible piece of legislation that makes the internet worse for everyone.”
“Specifically, it's already being used to block people from accessing LGBTQ+ resources, sex education resources, substance addiction resources, and anti-war information,” Tim’s site reads.
As of July 25th, 2025, adult websites and a wide range of other services in the UK must verify users’ age using official methods, such as photo ID or credit card checks. To protect your privacy online, use a VPN.
