The UK media regulator Ofcom has initiated a formal probe examining TikTok’s age verification procedures and safeguards designed to protect minors. The investigation specifically focuses on how the platform assesses whether users are children and whether it maintains sufficient systems to restrict access to potentially harmful material.
The examination comes approximately one month after the UK government announced plans to implement a comprehensive ban preventing users under 16 from accessing a range of social media platforms. The regulator’s scrutiny centers on TikTok’s use of “age inference” technology, a method that estimates user age based on behavioral patterns such as video-watching habits and interaction styles. Ofcom officials have expressed significant concerns about whether such technological approaches meet the requirement to be “highly effective” at verifying user ages as mandated under the Online Safety Act.
TikTok stated it is confident in meeting its regulatory obligations under the Online Safety Act and pledged cooperation with Ofcom’s investigation. The company emphasized its deployment of age-appropriate experiences enforced through platform rules and advanced age inference technologies, noting investments of billions in online safety measures since launching in the UK eight years prior. However, child safety advocates have criticized the platform, pointing to research indicating that teenagers frequently encounter high-risk content on the service.
Ofcom’s investigation into TikTok reflects a broader regulatory enforcement effort targeting social media and other online services. Under the Online Safety Act’s protections for children, which became effective earlier in the previous year, platforms containing adult material must employ robust verification methods such as facial recognition to confirm visitors are over 18. The regulator has already taken enforcement action, including issuing substantial fines, against numerous adult websites suspected of non-compliance.
Legal experts and child safety organizations have called for strengthened accountability measures, noting that current enforcement frameworks may be insufficient to ensure full platform compliance with child protection requirements. Multiple stakeholders have indicated that without more severe penalties and robust enforcement mechanisms, children may remain exposed to online harms that existing regulations were intended to prevent.
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