At first, they came for the gooners, and I said nothing, for I did not goon. Now, they come for the gamers, and there are none left to speak for us. Age verification is becoming quite widespread, especially in the UK & Ireland these days, and it appears now PlayStation is the latest brand to start its age-verifying rollout, asking you to input either your ID, a facial scan, or get a verification code via a text to your registered phone number.
As reported by Push Square, these notifications for age verification are already being rolled out to users in the UK & Ireland. If you want to use messages and voice chat via PlayStation, you'll need to verify your age. It's not an absolute requirement until later in the year, but a QR code can allow you to verify your age right now.
With concerns around people's data and privacy being higher than ever, it might make you a bit uneasy to send your ID or face over to PlayStation. The phone number option therefore could be the best bet, but if you want to learn more about how and why this age verification has come about, you can read the FAQ page on PlayStation's site here.
