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A formal inquiry has been initiated to determine whether TikTok is adequately safeguarding children from accessing its platform. This investigation, carried out by media regulator Ofcom, follows closely on the heels of a recent UK government announcement that children under the age of 16 will be outright banned from several social media platforms.
Ofcom’s review will focus on the methods TikTok uses to verify the ages of its users, particularly scrutinizing whether the platform has robust measures to stop children from encountering harmful material. Speaking on the matter, a TikTok representative stated, “We’re confident that we meet our Online Safety Act obligations and will work with Ofcom to demonstrate it.”
The regulator’s concerns stem from a previous evaluation conducted in May, which judged TikTok as not sufficiently safe for younger users and urged more stringent safety protocols. Kate Davies, Ofcom’s group director responsible for strategy and research, explained on BBC’s Today programme that existing age verification techniques used by social media platforms often fall short. At the center of Ofcom’s inquiry is TikTok’s use of “age inference” technology—an approach that attempts to estimate a user’s age based on their interactions and viewing habits. Davies expressed “serious doubts” about the effectiveness of such systems, emphasizing the requirement for platforms to apply “highly effective” age verification methods to ensure children do not access harmful content.
TikTok responded by highlighting its strict enforcement of age-appropriate experiences through platform rules and advanced inference technology, comparable with other leading industry players. The company also noted its substantial investment of billions in online safety initiatives since its UK launch eight years ago.
Support for Ofcom’s investigation has come from Andy Burrows, CEO of the Molly Rose Foundation, who criticized TikTok for what he terms “egregious failures” in preventing children from encountering vast amounts of damaging content. The foundation was established by the family of Molly Russell, a 14-year-old who died by suicide after exposure to self-harm and suicide content on social media. Burrows emphasized that the probe needs to address TikTok’s failure to cleanse its harmful algorithms and meet its child safety responsibilities.
Rebecca Smart, a criminal lawyer and online safety specialist, acknowledged that the Online Safety Act has made progress in protecting minors but warned that the current enforcement may lack sufficient deterrence to ensure full compliance. She advocated for strict penalties against platforms lacking proper age-verification measures, emphasizing that without stronger accountability, children will continue to face the risks the legislation aims to prevent
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