Ofcom Investigates TikTok Over Child Age Checks

The regulator’s May review of the platform found it was “not safe enough” for children, prompting a swift response from the company. The review, conducted by the UK’s Ofcom, highlighted shortcomings in content moderation, data‑collection practices, and the lack of robust parental controls. It concluded that the platform’s existing safeguards did not meet the industry’s evolving safety standards for minors.

In response, the platform announced a series of measures aimed at strengthening child protection. These include the rollout of an enhanced content‑filtering system, the introduction of a new parental‑control dashboard, and a partnership with independent child‑safety experts to audit its policies. The company also pledged to increase transparency by publishing quarterly safety reports and to engage with regulators to ensure compliance with forthcoming guidelines.

Ofcom will monitor the implementation of these measures and may impose further action if the platform fails to demonstrate measurable progress. The review underscores the regulator’s commitment to enforcing stricter safety protocols for online services that attract a young audience, while the platform’s new initiatives aim to align its operations with those expectations.