Ofcom Launches Investigation Into TikTok Over Child Safety

The UK’s media regulator, Ofcom, has launched a formal investigation into TikTok to determine if the popular video-sharing platform is failing to protect children from viewing harmful online content.

The investigation comes nearly a year after the Online Safety Act’s (OSA) child protection codes came into effect, and just a month after the UK government announced plans to ban under-16s from several major social media platforms by spring 2027.

At the center of the investigation is how TikTok verifies the age of its users. Ofcom has raised "particular concerns" that the platform's systems "may have failed to correctly identify a significant proportion of children", potentially exposing them to high-risk material such as self-harm, suicide, disordered eating, and pornography.

While TikTok requires users to enter a date of birth during sign-up, it also relies heavily on a technology known as "age inference." This method estimates a user's age by analyzing their online behavior, such as the videos they watch, their interactions, their profile bio, and even voice or facial features.

Ofcom has openly questioned the reliability of these systems. Kate Davies, Ofcom’s group director for strategy and research, expressed the regulator’s skepticism about age inference:

"We have very serious questions about whether age inference can be highly effective."

Ofcom warned that companies relying on these models may be failing to detect large numbers of underage users. The watchdog advised platforms to "switch to other methods listed in our guidance as highly effective without delay", which include stronger measures like face scans.

TikTok, which is the third most popular app for UK children aged 8 to 14, strongly defended its practices. A spokesperson for 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. In the eight years since TikTok launched in the UK, we have invested billions in platform safety. We are confident that we meet our Online Safety Act obligations and will work with Ofcom to demonstrate this."

Under the Online Safety Act, if Ofcom finds that TikTok has failed to meet its legal duties, the financial consequences could be staggering. The regulator has the power to issue fines of up to £18 million or 10% of the platform's qualifying global revenue, whichever is higher. In extreme scenarios, Ofcom can seek court orders to block access to the app entirely in the UK.

The investigation has been strongly welcomed by child safety campaigners, including the Molly Rose Foundation (MRF), which was established after 14-year-old Molly Russell took her own life after viewing self-harm content online.

MRF Chief Executive Andy Burrows argued that the investigation must go beyond basic age checks. He stated that the investigation "should not only address issues with age checks but also TikTok's blatant failure to clean up its toxic algorithms and comply with child safety duties".

TikTok is not the only platform under the microscope. The investigation highlights a wider, systemic push by Ofcom to clean up the internet for minors:

• Pornography and Search Engines: Since July 25th, 2025, adult sites in the UK have been legally required to use strict age verification. However, Ofcom noted that a quarter of popular porn sites still lack checks. Furthermore, search engine results frequently direct users to these check-free sites. Google and Bing are now working with Ofcom to address this issue.
• Dating Apps: Despite active age checks, Ofcom research revealed that roughly 10% of teenagers aged 15 to 17 were still successfully using the UK’s three most popular dating apps as of December 2025.
• AI Chatbots: Reflecting the evolving digital landscape, Meta announced new safety measures that will alert parents and emergency services if children discuss self-harm or suicide with its integrated AI chatbots on Instagram and Facebook.

Ofcom emphasized that the launch of the investigation does not guarantee a finding of guilt, stating: "The opening of an investigation does not mean that Ofcom has reached any conclusion about whether the provider has breached its duties." The regulator will now assess TikTok's internal data and procedures before deciding on its next steps.