Media regulator Ofcom has launched an official investigation into whether TikTok is taking sufficient steps to keep children off its platform. The probe follows a May review by the regulator, which criticized the video-sharing app for not being safe enough for younger users and urged for more robust action regarding online safety.
A central focus of the investigation is the platform's reliance on technology known as age inference. This method estimates a user's age based on their behavior, such as the videos they watch and the interactions they have on the app. Kate Davies, Ofcom’s group director for strategy and research, expressed significant concerns regarding the efficacy of such tools.
She noted that the regulator has serious doubts about whether age inference can be considered a highly effective method for verifying user age, adding that some current social media age checks are not functioning well enough.
Under the Protection of Children’s Codes, which came into effect on July 25 last year, platforms hosting harmful material are required to implement highly effective age verification methods, such as face scans, to ensure UK visitors are over 18. Ofcom has already taken enforcement action, including issuing substantial fines, against dozens of adult websites for suspected or proven non-compliance.
This latest investigation into TikTok signals that the regulator is intensifying its scrutiny of mainstream social media platforms.
In response to the probe, a TikTok spokesperson stated that the company remains confident in its ability to meet obligations under the Online Safety Act and intends to work closely with Ofcom to demonstrate compliance.
The spokesperson emphasized that TikTok strictly enforces age-appropriate experiences through expert-informed rules and advanced age inference technologies, which they claim are in line with major industry peers.
The company further noted that it has invested billions in online safety since its UK launch eight years ago.
TikTok is not unique in its use of age inference; platforms like Instagram also utilize this technology to identify potential child users who may be lying about their age. TikTok maintains that it places UK users into age-appropriate experiences by default until they are verified as adults, and it prohibits users from creating new accounts if they fail to enter a date of birth that places them over the age of 13.
The investigation comes just one month after the UK government announced plans for a broader ban on social media platforms for those under 16.
