The regulator called for stronger action across the industry
Ofcom has launched an investigation into TikTok to examine whether the platform is doing enough to protect children from harmful content.
The probe comes a month after the UK government announced plans to ban under-16s from a range of social media platforms as part of wider efforts to strengthen online safety.
Ofcom will assess how TikTok determines whether a user is a child. It will also examine whether the platform has adequate systems to stop children from accessing harmful content.
A TikTok spokesperson said: “We’re confident that we meet our Online Safety Act obligations and will work with Ofcom to demonstrate it.”
The investigation follows an Ofcom review in May, which concluded that TikTok was not “safe enough” for children. The regulator called for stronger action across the industry to improve online protections for young users.
At the centre of the investigation is TikTok’s use of “age inference” technology.
Instead of asking users to verify their age with official documents, the system estimates how old someone is based on their activity, including the videos they watch and the accounts they interact with.
Kate Davies, Ofcom’s Group Director for Strategy and Research, questioned whether this approach is reliable enough.
Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, she said:
“This is where TikTok comes in. We found that some methods of age checks being used by social media are not working well enough”.
Davies added that Ofcom remains unconvinced the technology meets the standards required under the Online Safety Act.
She said:
“We have very serious questions about whether age inference can be highly effective.”
Under the legislation, platforms must use “highly effective” methods to verify that users are old enough to access their services and age-restricted content.
Responding to the investigation, TikTok defended its approach to protecting younger users.
A spokesperson said: “We strictly enforce age-appropriate experiences through expert-informed platform rules and advanced age inference technologies, in line with major industry peers.”
The company added that it has invested “billions” in online safety since launching in the UK eight years ago.
Ofcom’s investigation will determine whether TikTok’s existing safeguards comply with its legal obligations under the Online Safety Act and whether further action is required.
Loading ...