The UK media regulator Ofcom says TikTok and YouTube have not made significant new commitments to improve child safety, despite evidence that recommendation feeds are a key route through which children encounter harmful content. In its assessment, Ofcom highlights that both platforms’ systems can expose children to inappropriate material through content recommended to them, rather than only through content they actively search for.
Ofcom’s comments follow ongoing scrutiny of how major social media and video platforms protect children. The regulator indicates that it is looking for concrete, measurable changes to make feeds safer, including stronger safeguards and clearer commitments that address how children experience risks on the services.
The regulator’s position is that while TikTok and YouTube are subject to child-safety expectations, the latest efforts they have put forward do not amount to substantial new undertakings compared with Ofcom’s requirements and the evidence gathered about recommendation pathways. Ofcom is therefore pressing for further action to reduce the likelihood that children are exposed to harm through algorithmic recommendations.
