TikTok, Twitter, Facebook, and other social media platforms have introduced new global measures to protect children, following the UK's implementation of the 'age appropriate design code' on Thursday. The code, which carries the threat of multimillion-dollar fines for non-compliance, has prompted companies like TikTok to disable notifications for children after bedtime, Instagram to block targeted ads for under-18s, and YouTube to turn off autoplay for teens.
These changes have been applied globally, not just in the UK, demonstrating the influence of British regulation on the tech industry. Beeban Kidron, the crossbench peer who introduced the code into law, stated that this proves a mid-sized country can have a meaningful effect on the global internet. She argued that the notion of tech exceptionalism—where companies claim to be different—has been dispelled.
The code, an amendment to the Data Protection Act 2018, requires companies to either make their services compatible with the code or identify younger users and treat them with care. It prohibits 'nudge' techniques that encourage children to give up privacy, calls for minimising data collection, and mandates default maximum privacy settings for children.
Despite expectations of fierce lobbying, tech companies have largely complied, though some deny the code as the direct cause. Twitter, for instance, has yet to introduce specific changes and faces criticism for its age verification process. The Information Commissioner's Office will now oversee enforcement, with the code taking legal effect from 2 September.
