Ofcom has launched a formal investigation into TikTok, citing concerns that the platform's age verification methods are failing to protect children from harmful content, including posts about suicide, self-harm, and pornography. The probe comes nearly a year after the UK's Online Safety Act introduced stricter measures to shield minors online.
Age Verification Under Scrutiny
Ofcom expressed particular concern over TikTok's use of age inference technology, which may incorrectly identify a significant number of child users. The regulator stated that it has not reached conclusions but warned that compliance failures could result in fines of up to £18 million or 10% of qualifying worldwide revenue, whichever is greater. In severe cases, Ofcom can apply to block or restrict sites in the UK.
"This investigation will seek to establish whether there are reasonable grounds to believe that TikTok has failed, or is failing, to comply with its legal obligations … including by using age assurance that is highly effective at correctly determining whether or not a particular user is a child," Ofcom said.
TikTok's Defense and Government Action
TikTok requires users to enter a date of birth upon account creation and employs technology that analyzes signals to check for minimum age compliance. The company stated: "We strictly enforce age-appropriate experiences through expert-informed platform rules and advanced age inference technologies, in line with major industry peers. We are confident that we meet our Online Safety Act obligations and will work with Ofcom to demonstrate this."
Meanwhile, the UK government is preparing to launch a social media ban for under-16s early next year, increasing scrutiny on age verification methods. Prime Minister Keir Starmer has announced the ban, which will require platforms to enforce robust age checks.
AI and New Threats
Meta announced on Thursday it would alert parents and emergency services if children discussed suicide or self-harm with its AI chatbots on Instagram and Facebook. The feature, available in the UK, US, Canada, and Australia, will roll out globally by year-end. This follows legal claims by families of young people who died after such interactions.
Ofcom also raised doubts about other platforms using inference techniques, noting that "in some cases, tech companies may be failing to correctly detect significant numbers of children on their platforms, meaning children risk being exposed to harmful content." The regulator urged firms to switch to highly effective methods listed in its guidance.
Search Engines and Pornography Access
Ofcom found that one in three results on Google's first page and 54% on Bing led to pornography sites without age checks. About a quarter of the UK's most popular porn services lack such checks, despite requirements under the Online Safety Act since July 25 last year. Ofcom is working with Google and Microsoft to address this.
A Google spokesperson said: "We are deeply committed to protecting the safety of young people using search in the UK. We automatically lock SafeSearch protections for all users we know or infer to be under 18, filtering out explicit and adult content to ensure a safer experience." Microsoft declined to comment.
Statistics on Children's Usage
According to Ofcom, TikTok is the third most used site or app by 8- to 14-year-olds in the UK, after YouTube and WhatsApp. Children spend an average of 8 hours 45 minutes per week on video-sharing platforms like TikTok, YouTube, Twitch, and DailyMotion. Additionally, about one in ten teenagers aged 15-17 used the three most popular dating apps in December 2025, despite age checks.
