Ofcom, the UK's online regulator, has launched a formal investigation into TikTok over concerns that the platform has failed to protect children from harmful content. The watchdog expressed particular concerns about TikTok's age verification methods, nearly a year after the Online Safety Act introduced measures to shield children from online harms.
Ofcom stated that TikTok's approach to inferring users' ages may have failed to correctly identify a significant proportion of children, exposing them to content related to disordered eating, self-harm, suicide, and pornography. The regulator has not reached any conclusions but warned that compliance failures could result in fines of up to £18 million or 10% of qualifying worldwide revenue, whichever is greater. In severe cases, Ofcom can seek to block or restrict sites in the UK.
Investigation Details
Ofcom said: "This investigation will seek to establish whether there are reasonable grounds to believe that TikTok has failed, or is failing, to comply with its legal obligations … including by using age assurance that is highly effective at correctly determining whether or not a particular user is a child." TikTok requires users to enter a date of birth when creating an account and uses technology to analyze signals for indicators that someone may not meet the minimum age requirement.
The investigation coincides with the UK government's plan to introduce a social media ban for under-16s early next year, which will heighten scrutiny of tech companies' age verification methods. Prime Minister Keir Starmer has announced the ban, aiming to bolster child safety online.
Broader Concerns and Industry Impact
Ofcom also raised serious doubts about other platforms using age inference techniques based on signals like nicknames, biographies, voice, facial features, and content viewed. The regulator warned: "In some cases, tech companies may be failing to correctly detect significant numbers of children on their platforms, meaning children risk being exposed to harmful content." It urged companies to switch to more effective methods listed in its guidance without delay.
Ofcom's research found that about one in ten teenagers aged 15 to 17 were still using the three most popular dating apps in December 2025, despite age checks. TikTok is the third most used site or app by eight- to 14-year-olds in the UK, after YouTube and WhatsApp, with children spending an average of eight hours 45 minutes a week on video-sharing platforms like TikTok, YouTube, Twitch, and Dailymotion.
AI and New Threats
Artificial intelligence is creating new challenges. Meta announced on Thursday it would alert parents and emergency services if children discussed suicide or self-harm with its AI chatbots, now embedded in Instagram and Facebook. The feature, available in the UK, US, Canada, and Australia, will roll out globally by year's end. This follows legal claims by families of young people who died by suicide after interacting with chatbots.
TikTok's Response
TikTok said: "We strictly enforce age-appropriate experiences through expert-informed platform rules and advanced age inference technologies, in line with major industry peers. We are confident that we meet our Online Safety Act obligations and will work with Ofcom to demonstrate this." The platform also stated it does not allow content promoting disordered eating or risky weight management behaviours.
Pornography and Search Engines
Ofcom found that children can easily find links to pornography sites without age checks via search engines. One in three results on the first page of Google Search and 54% on Bing led to such sites. About a quarter of the UK's most popular pornography services lack age checks, required since July 2024 under the Online Safety Act. Google and Bing are now working with Ofcom to address this. A Google spokesperson said: "We automatically lock SafeSearch protections for all users we know or infer to be under 18, filtering out explicit content." Microsoft declined to comment.
