Ofcom has launched an urgent investigation into TikTok to determine whether the platform is adequately protecting children from harmful content. The media watchdog will examine TikTok's compliance with the Online Safety Act 2023, which mandates that social media platforms implement age checks to prevent minors from accessing age-inappropriate material.
Age Inference Under Scrutiny
TikTok currently employs 'age inference' technology, which analyses user activity to estimate their age. However, Ofcom has expressed 'particular concerns' about the effectiveness of this approach. The regulator stated that 'more action is needed' to strengthen age verification measures, especially as the UK government prepares to introduce restrictions on social media use for under-16s.
Ofcom Chief Executive's Statement
Dame Melanie Dawes, Chief Executive of Ofcom, emphasised the importance of age checks in online safety. 'Age checks are a cornerstone of the UK's online safety laws. When implemented properly, our evidence shows that age checks are helping to create a safer life online for children in the UK,' she said. 'But the job isn't done and tech companies need to go further. Too many services have no or inadequate age checks in place, which isn't good enough. Today we've launched an investigation into whether TikTok's age checks are effective in preventing children from seeing harmful content on its platform.'
Dawes also called on search engines to collaborate with Ofcom to address the issue of children easily accessing pornographic websites through search results. 'As the UK prepares for further new social media restrictions at 16, the age check landscape is already shifting towards a stronger, whole-of-system approach, which is important to avoid any single point of failure.' She added that continued innovation from the tech industry is needed to strengthen protections for children, including at the operating system, app store, and device levels.
TikTok's Response
A TikTok spokesperson defended the platform's practices, stating: 'We strictly enforce age-appropriate experiences through advanced age inference technologies and expert-informed platform rules in line with major industry peers. In the eight years since TikTok launched in the UK, we have invested billions in platform safety. We're confident that we meet our Online Safety Act obligations and will work with Ofcom to demonstrate this.'
The investigation marks a significant step in enforcing the UK's Online Safety Act, which came into force in 2023. The outcome could have implications for how social media platforms implement age verification across the industry.
