TikTok Under Ofcom Investigation Over Child Age Verification Measures

UK media regulator Ofcom has launched an investigation into TikTok over concerns that the platform’s age-verification measures may not be sufficient to protect children from harmful online content.

The investigation will examine how TikTok determines whether a user is under 18 and whether its existing safeguards are effective at preventing children from accessing inappropriate material, as required under the UK’s Online Safety Act.

The probe comes just weeks after the UK government announced plans to ban children under 16 from using certain social media platforms, signaling a tougher approach to online child safety.

A key focus of the investigation is TikTok’s AI-powered verification system, which estimates a user’s likely age by analyzing behaviour on the platform, including the content they watch, the accounts they follow, and how they interact with videos.

Speaking on the BBC’s Today programme, Ofcom’s Group Director for Strategy and Research, Kate Davies, said the regulator has “serious doubts” about whether this AI-based verification method is reliable enough to meet legal standards.

Under the UK’s Online Safety Act, digital platforms are required to implement highly effective identity and eligibility checks to prevent children from accessing harmful or inappropriate material.

TikTok, however, insists it complies with its legal obligations.

A company spokesperson said the platform strictly enforces age-appropriate experiences through platform rules developed with child safety experts and advanced age inference technology.

“We’re confident that we meet our Online Safety Act obligations and will work with Ofcom to demonstrate it,” the spokesperson said.

The company also said it has invested billions of dollars globally in trust, safety, and content moderation since entering the UK market eight years ago.

The investigation forms part of Ofcom’s broader enforcement campaign aimed at strengthening online protections for children.

Under the Protection of Children’s Codes, which came into force last year, platforms hosting adult or potentially harmful content must introduce robust user verification measures, including facial estimation technology, to confirm visitors are old enough to access such material.

Ofcom has already taken enforcement action against several online services, including imposing substantial fines on adult websites that failed to comply with the new rules.

TikTok is not the only platform using AI-driven verification tools. Meta’s Instagram also employs similar technology, alongside other methods, to identify users who may have entered incorrect birth dates when creating their accounts.

The outcome of Ofcom’s investigation could have significant implications for how major social media companies verify users’ ages and protect younger audiences in the UK.