A child creates a TikTok account claiming to be 16 — and the platform's algorithms decide that's believable. This scenario is at the heart of a formal investigation launched by the UK's media regulator, Ofcom, into whether TikTok is doing enough to keep children off its platform and protect them from harmful content.
The investigation, announced on 16 July 2026, follows a review by Ofcom in May that criticised the platform for not being "safe enough" for children. The regulator will examine how TikTok assesses a user's age — specifically its use of a technology called "age inference" — and whether it has adequate systems to prevent children from viewing harmful material such as posts about suicide, self-harm, disordered eating and pornography.
“Ofcom investigates TikTok over age checks and child safety under the Online Safety Act.”
At the centre of the probe is TikTok's reliance on age inference, which estimates a user's age based on how they use the platform — for example, the videos they watch or the accounts they interact with. Kate Davies, Ofcom's group director for strategy and research, told the BBC's Today programme that the regulator has "serious doubts" over whether such tools are "highly effective" at correctly determining whether a user is a child. Ofcom said it had not reached any conclusions, but that TikTok may have failed to identify "a significant proportion of children", putting them at risk.
TikTok disputes this. A spokesperson said the company has invested "billions" in online safety since launching in the UK eight years ago and that it "strictly enforce[s] age-appropriate experiences through expert-informed platform rules and advanced age inference technologies, in line with major industry peers." Users must enter a date of birth when creating an account, and TikTok says it also looks for "signals" to check if someone may be underage.
Ofcom's action comes under the Online Safety Act (OSA), which took effect in July 2025. The OSA's children's codes require platforms to use "highly effective" age assurance — such as face scans — to prevent under-18s from seeing adult content. The regulator has already fined dozens of adult sites for non-compliance, and now social media scrutiny is being stepped up.
A further layer of pressure comes from the UK government's planned social media ban for under-16s, expected to take effect early next year. That ban will demand even more robust age checks across all platforms, making TikTok's current methods a test case for the entire industry.
Why it matters for UK readers If you have children using TikTok — or if you use the app yourself — the outcome of this investigation could change how age is verified on the platform. Ofcom can fine TikTok up to £18 million or 10% of its qualifying worldwide revenue, whichever is greater, and can even apply to have the site blocked or restricted in the UK in the most serious cases. For parents, it raises the question of whether current checks are keeping children safe; for users, it signals that age verification is about to get much stricter across social media.
Key questions answered
Q: What is age inference technology? Age inference is a method used by platforms like TikTok and Instagram to estimate a user's age based on their online behaviour — such as the videos they watch, accounts they follow or interact with. It does not require a user to upload an ID or take a selfie, but Ofcom has serious doubts about whether it can be considered "highly effective" for preventing children from accessing age-inappropriate content.
Q: What penalties could TikTok face if found in breach? If Ofcom concludes TikTok has failed to comply with the Online Safety Act's children's codes, it can impose fines of up to £18 million or 10% of the company's qualifying worldwide revenue, whichever is larger. In the most serious cases, the regulator can also apply to have TikTok blocked or restricted in the UK.
Q: When will the UK ban on under-16s using social media happen? The UK government has announced it will introduce a social media ban for under-16s early next year (2027). The exact date and scope are still to be confirmed, but the policy will increase pressure on platforms to implement highly effective age checks.
What happens next Ofcom's investigation is ongoing. The regulator will decide whether there are "reasonable grounds to believe that TikTok has failed, or is failing, to comply with its legal obligations." If so, TikTok could face fines and be forced to overhaul its age-checking systems. Meanwhile, the government's under-16 ban looms, meaning all social media platforms — not just TikTok — will need to prove their age assurance is robust enough. TikTok has said it is confident it meets its obligations and will work with Ofcom to demonstrate compliance.
