TikTok is under formal investigation by the UK’s media regulator over fears its age‑verification system is failing to protect children from content about suicide, self‑harm and pornography.
The probe by Ofcom comes a month after the government announced it would ban under‑16s from a range of social media platforms early next year. The regulator said it had “particular concerns” about the video‑sharing app’s use of so‑called age‑inference technology — which estimates a user’s age based on the videos they watch and people they interact with.
“Ofcom investigates TikTok over concerns its age checks fail to protect children from harmful content.”
“We have very serious questions about whether age inference can be highly effective,” Kate Davies, Ofcom’s group director for strategy and research, told the BBC’s Today programme. Davies said the watchdog had found that “some methods of age checks being used by social media are not working well enough”.
The investigation follows an Ofcom review in May that criticised TikTok for not being “safe enough” for children and called for stronger action. Under the Online Safety Act’s children’s codes, which took effect last July, platforms must use “highly effective” age assurance measures. Ofcom said TikTok’s approach may have failed to identify “a significant proportion of children”, exposing them to harmful material.
TikTok said it requires users to enter a date of birth when creating an account and also uses technology that looks at “signals” to check for indicators that someone may not meet the minimum age requirement. “We’re confident that we meet our Online Safety Act obligations and will work with Ofcom to demonstrate it,” a TikTok spokesperson said. The company added that it “strictly enforce[s] age‑appropriate experiences” and has invested “billions” in online safety since launching in the UK eight years ago.
If Ofcom finds TikTok in breach, it can impose fines of up to £18m or 10% of qualifying worldwide revenue, whichever is greater. In the most serious cases, it can also apply to have sites blocked or restricted in the UK. The outcome will test whether the regulator’s tougher stance can force social media companies to tighten protections for children — or whether age‑inference technology remains a loophole too wide to close.