The media regulator Ofcom has launched an investigation into whether TikTok is doing enough to keep children off its platform, after a review in May found it was “not safe enough” for young users. The probe comes a month after the UK government announced that under-16s would be banned entirely from a range of social media platforms.
Ofcom will examine how the video-sharing app assesses whether a user is a child and whether it has adequate systems to prevent children from seeing harmful content. At the heart of the regulator’s inquiry is TikTok’s use of “age inference” technology, which estimates a user’s age based on how they use the platform — such as the videos they watch or others they interact with.
“Ofcom probes TikTok over child age checks after review found platform not 'safe enough' for children.”
Kate Davies, Ofcom’s group director for strategy and research, told the BBC’s Today programme: “We have very serious questions about whether age inference can be highly effective.” The regulator requires social media platforms to use “highly effective” methods to check users are old enough and to prevent children from accessing harmful material. Davies said Ofcom had “serious doubts” about whether such tools are good enough.
A TikTok spokesperson said: “We strictly enforce age-appropriate experiences through expert-informed platform rules and advanced age inference technologies, in line with major industry peers.” The company added that it had invested “billions” in online safety since launching in the UK eight years ago, and that it was “confident that we meet our Online Safety Act obligations and will work with Ofcom to demonstrate it.”
Ofcom’s review of TikTok’s age checks is part of a broader clampdown on sites that fail to prevent children encountering adult content, such as pornography, and other harmful material. Under the Online Safety Act’s protection of children’s codes, which took effect on 25 July last year, sites with such content must use methods including face scans to verify a UK visitor is over 18. The regulator has already issued large fines against dozens of adult sites over suspected or proven non-compliance. Its investigation into TikTok signals that scrutiny is now being stepped up for social media platforms.