The UK communications regulator Ofcom has launched a formal investigation into TikTok’s child safety protections, focusing on how the platform checks users’ ages and manages exposure to harmful content. Multiple reports say the probe is driven by concerns that TikTok’s approach to age verification or age assurance may be ineffective, leaving some users who are under 18 at risk of seeing material that Ofcom considers inappropriate for children.
Sources also refer to an Ofcom review published in May that criticised TikTok for not being “safe enough” for children and raised “serious doubts” about the methods used for age checks. The investigation is described as examining whether TikTok complies with requirements under the UK Online Safety Act, particularly the systems that determine whether a viewer is an adult or a child.
Reporting across outlets notes that the regulator’s concerns center on TikTok’s age-checking effectiveness rather than specific content removal decisions alone. The investigation could result in regulatory action if Ofcom finds TikTok is not meeting its obligations to protect children from harmful content.
