OpenAI has started rolling out age verification to users in Canada, with worldwide deployment coming in December 2025. Verified adult users may access mature features of ChatGPT with fewer guardrails or nagging questions — including roleplay and erotica.
For most users, the verification process will be automated, but some may need to provide government ID through OpenAI’s vendor, Persona.
What “Adult Mode” Actually Means
Starting December 2025, verified adults can access:
- Erotic content creation: Write stories with sexual themes
- Romantic roleplay: “Flirtatious” conversations without triggering blocks
- Mature storytelling: Crime fiction, dark narratives, horror without softening
- Personality customization: More human-like, emoji-heavy, “friend mode” tone
According to OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, the company made ChatGPT “pretty restrictive” to handle mental health issues, but realized this made it “less useful/enjoyable to many users who had no mental health problems.”
“In December, as we roll out age-gating more fully and as part of our ‘treat adult users like adults’ principle, we will allow even more, like erotica for verified adults.”
How Age Verification Works
Automated Age Prediction
ChatGPT uses behavioral signals to estimate your age:
- Time periods when you’re active
- Length of time you’ve had an account
- Usage patterns and language complexity
If the system thinks you’re under 18, it automatically applies “teen protections” that block sensitive content.
Manual Verification (If Needed)
If you’re misclassified as under 18, you can verify through Persona:
- Upload government ID (driver’s license, passport)
- Take a selfie to confirm it’s you
- Persona verifies age, then deletes data immediately
Important: Verification is optional. You can continue using ChatGPT with teen protections if you prefer.
User Reactions: Privacy, Frustration, and Hope
“Surely if you’ve attached a credit card, that should be verification enough?”
This is the most common complaint. One user perfectly captured the sentiment: “I am not keen on handing over a copy of my ID to any company these days with the amount of data breaches.”
Why OpenAI doesn’t accept credit cards alone: Minors can use parents’ cards, and OpenAI needs stronger verification for legal liability. However, Plus/Pro subscribers may get lighter verification (selfie-only vs. full ID).
“I really hope they will allow dark fiction then”
One frustrated writer noted: “Can’t write anything with 5.1 without it softening the content. I’m not even asking for erotica, I just want to write and brainstorm a crime story.”
This highlights a real problem: current filters block legitimate creative work, not just explicit content. The December update should fix this — letting verified adults explore violence, moral ambiguity, and complex themes without constant warnings.
“It’s absurd that ChatGPT permits erotica while blocking philosophy”
One philosophical user lamented: “All I want is meaningful dialogue.” This captures the irony—OpenAI is loosening sexual content restrictions while maintaining tight controls on political or controversial discussions.
“Yes expose their users to sexy content only for them to find out that Grok has been doing it 1000 times better”
Several commenters noted that xAI’s Grok already offers uncensored “flirty” modes. As one put it: “Grok shouldn’t be underestimated!”
This competitive pressure likely accelerated OpenAI’s timeline. With Character.AI, Replika, and Grok already serving adult users, ChatGPT risked losing market share by staying restrictive.
The Global Control Concern
One commenter raised a darker interpretation: “This age verification appears to be a global plan to roll out ID to access internet/services. The Government in Australia is trying to do the same thing.”
Another responded: “Yeah but in Australia it’s more about censorship and control.”
The Slippery Slope Argument
Critics worry that normalizing ID verification for AI chatbots sets a precedent for mandatory digital identity systems. Once users accept uploading government IDs to chat with AI, what’s next? Social media? News sites? Search engines?
OpenAI’s use of Persona, a third-party vendor, adds complexity. While Persona claims to delete data immediately, users must trust both companies with their identity documents.
What About Image and Video Models?
One user asked: “Will this include video and image models? 👀”
Current answer: Unknown. The December rollout focuses on text-based mature content. DALL-E and Sora remain restricted from generating explicit imagery.
However, if text erotica succeeds, visual content may follow—with even stricter verification and watermarking to prevent abuse.
The Business Reality
According to BGR’s recent report, OpenAI acknowledged to investors that time spent in ChatGPT slightly declined after implementing teen protections in August 2025.
| Year | Paid Users (Plus/Pro) | % of Total Users |
|---|---|---|
| July 2025 | 35 million | 5% |
| 2030 (Target) | 220 million | 8.6% |
Eliminating content restrictions isn’t just about user freedom—it’s a retention strategy. If adults feel constrained, they’ll migrate to Grok, Character.AI, or other less-filtered alternatives.
Another asked: “Do you think it’s a good move?”
The answer depends on what you value:
Good If You Believe:
- Adults should be treated like adults
- Creative freedom matters for writers and roleplayers
- Age-gating is better than blanket censorship
- Competition (Grok) forces OpenAI to be less restrictive
Bad If You Worry About:
- Privacy risks from uploading government IDs
- Normalizing digital identity verification
- Data breaches exposing sensitive verification records
- Slippery slope toward broader internet ID requirements
As one user wisely concluded: “ChatGPT currently blocks anything explicit anyway, so proper age-gating is the only sensible way to open up adult features while keeping minors safe.”
The December rollout will answer many lingering questions. Until then, users must decide whether unlocking “adult mode” is worth handing over their identity—literally.
