The UK’s media regulator Ofcom has initiated an investigation examining whether TikTok is implementing sufficient safeguards to prevent children from accessing the platform and viewing inappropriate material. The probe comes approximately a month after the UK government indicated plans to restrict users under 16 from various social media platforms. Ofcom will focus on how TikTok determines whether users are minors and what protections exist against children encountering harmful content.
The investigation centers on TikTok’s use of “age inference” technology, a method that estimates user age based on viewing patterns and interaction habits rather than traditional verification. Ofcom officials have expressed significant reservations about whether such inference systems meet the regulatory standard of being “highly effective” in age verification. Kate Davies, Ofcom’s group director for strategy and research, stated the regulator has “serious doubts” regarding the efficacy of these tools. Under the Online Safety Act’s child protection codes, platforms must employ highly effective methods to verify age and restrict minors from accessing harmful material.
TikTok has responded by asserting compliance with its Online Safety Act obligations and stating it employs advanced age inference technologies alongside expert-informed platform rules. The company claims to have invested substantially in online safety measures since entering the UK market. TikTok further notes it places UK users in age-appropriate experiences until determining they are adults, and prevents account creation when users refuse to provide qualifying birth dates.
The investigation reflects a broader regulatory push against social media platforms regarding child safety. This follows an earlier Ofcom review that determined TikTok was insufficiently safe for minors. Child safety advocates have praised Ofcom’s action, with the Molly Rose Foundation citing research showing many teenagers encounter high-risk content on the platform and criticizing what it describes as TikTok’s failure to address algorithmic issues contributing to harmful content exposure. Online safety experts have also suggested current enforcement mechanisms may be insufficient to ensure full platform compliance with child protection standards.
Originally reported by BBC News. Read the full story →