An investigation has been launched into whether TikTok is doing enough to keep children off its platform, with the regulator questioning whether the technology used to estimate users’ ages is reliable enough to meet legal standards.
The probe by Ofcom comes a month after the UK government announced that under-16s would be banned entirely from a range of platforms. At the heart of the regulator’s inquiry is TikTok’s use of “age inference” technology — a system that estimates how old a user is based on what videos they watch or who they interact with.
“Ofcom investigates TikTok's age checks after May review found platform not 'safe enough' for children.”
Kate Davies, Ofcom’s group director for strategy and research, told BBC’s Today programme that the regulator had “serious doubts” about whether such tools are effective. “This is where TikTok comes in. We found that some method of age checks being used by social media are not working well enough,” she said. “We have very serious questions about whether age inference can be highly effective.”
The investigation follows a review by the regulator in May that criticised TikTok for not being “safe enough” for children and called for stronger action on children’s online safety. Under the Online Safety Act’s protection of children’s codes, which took effect on 25 July last year, social media platforms must use “highly effective” methods to check users are old enough and prevent children from seeing harmful material.
In response, a TikTok spokesperson said: “We’re confident that we meet our Online Safety Act obligations and will work with Ofcom to demonstrate it.” The company said it “strictly enforces age-appropriate experiences through expert-informed platform rules and advanced age inference technologies, in line with major industry peers.” The spokesperson added that TikTok had invested “billions” in online safety since launching in the UK eight years ago.
Ofcom’s review of TikTok’s age checks is part of a broader clampdown on sites failing to prevent children encountering adult content, such as pornography, and other harmful material. The regulator has already taken action against dozens of adult sites, issuing large fines over suspected or proven non-compliance. The investigation into TikTok signals that scrutiny is now being stepped up for social media platforms as well.