TikTok has come under formal investigation by the United Kingdom’s communications regulator, Ofcom, amid growing concerns that the platform’s age verification systems may not be sufficiently effective in protecting children from harmful online content. The inquiry represents one of the most significant regulatory actions taken under the UK’s Online Safety Act and reflects increasing government scrutiny of how major technology companies safeguard young users in an increasingly complex digital landscape.
The investigation centres on whether TikTok has fulfilled its legal obligations by implementing age assurance measures capable of accurately identifying underage users and preventing their exposure to inappropriate or harmful material. The move comes nearly a year after the Online Safety Act introduced enhanced child protection requirements for digital platforms operating in the UK, placing greater responsibility on technology companies to verify users’ ages and restrict access to harmful content.
Ofcom Raises Questions Over TikTok’s Age Verification Methods
According to Ofcom, particular concerns have emerged regarding TikTok’s reliance on age inference technology to determine whether users are children. Rather than depending solely on formal identity verification methods, the platform reportedly uses artificial intelligence and behavioural indicators to estimate users’ ages.
The regulator expressed concern that this approach may have failed to correctly identify a substantial number of child users, potentially exposing them to content that should be inaccessible under UK online safety regulations.
While Ofcom emphasised that no conclusions have yet been reached, the regulator confirmed that its investigation will determine whether there are reasonable grounds to believe TikTok has breached its statutory obligations regarding child safety and age verification.
Should the platform ultimately be found in violation of the Online Safety Act, it could face substantial financial penalties. Under current legislation, Ofcom has the authority to impose fines of up to £18 million or 10% of a company’s qualifying global annual revenue, whichever is greater. In the most serious circumstances, the regulator also possesses powers to seek court orders restricting or blocking services within the United Kingdom.
Protecting Children From Harmful Online Content
Central to the investigation is the concern that ineffective age verification may allow children to encounter harmful material across social media platforms.
The Online Safety Act requires digital services to prevent underage users from accessing content relating to self-harm, suicide, eating disorders, pornography, and other forms of material considered harmful to children.
Ofcom stated that companies must employ highly effective methods capable of accurately determining whether a user is a child. The regulator suggested that relying predominantly on age inference technologies may not satisfy these legal standards if significant numbers of children continue to evade appropriate safeguards.
TikTok maintains that it requires all users to provide their date of birth during account registration. The company also says it supplements this information with technology designed to identify behavioural signals indicating that users may be younger than the platform’s minimum age requirements.
Growing Government Focus on Online Child Safety
The investigation coincides with broader efforts by the UK Government to strengthen protections for children using digital platforms.
Officials are preparing to introduce additional restrictions expected to prohibit children under the age of 16 from accessing certain social media platforms beginning next year. These forthcoming measures are likely to intensify scrutiny of how technology companies verify users’ ages and enforce child safety standards.
The government’s wider strategy reflects mounting public concern over excessive social media use among young people, as well as increasing evidence linking prolonged exposure to harmful online content with negative impacts on mental health and wellbeing.
As policymakers seek stronger safeguards, age verification technologies have become one of the most contested aspects of online regulation, with industry leaders, privacy advocates and child protection organisations offering differing views on the most effective solutions.
Artificial Intelligence Creates New Online Safety Challenges
The rapid expansion of artificial intelligence is also reshaping online child protection efforts.
Alongside Ofcom’s investigation into TikTok, Meta recently announced new safety measures designed to identify conversations involving suicide or self-harm conducted through its AI-powered chatbots integrated into Facebook and Instagram.
Under the new system, parents participating in Meta’s supervision programme may receive alerts if concerning interactions are detected. In certain circumstances, emergency services may also be notified where immediate risks are identified.
The feature is being introduced across the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada and Australia before expanding globally later this year.
These developments follow growing legal scrutiny facing technology companies after families alleged that AI chatbots contributed to emotional distress among vulnerable young users.
Concerns Extend Beyond TikTok
Ofcom indicated that its concerns are not limited to TikTok alone.
The regulator questioned the effectiveness of age inference systems used across multiple digital platforms, particularly those relying on indicators such as usernames, biographies, voice characteristics, facial analysis or browsing behaviour to estimate users’ ages.
According to Ofcom, these methods may fail to identify significant numbers of children accurately, thereby undermining legal protections introduced under the Online Safety Act.
The regulator advised platforms currently depending on such systems to adopt more reliable forms of age assurance without delay.
Research published by Ofcom also revealed that approximately one in ten UK teenagers aged between 15 and 17 continued using several popular dating applications during late 2025 despite age restrictions already being in place, highlighting ongoing challenges in enforcing digital age limits.
TikTok Defends Its Safety Measures
Responding to the investigation, TikTok stated that it remains confident its systems comply with UK legislation.
The company said it enforces age-appropriate experiences through platform rules developed with expert guidance alongside advanced age inference technologies comparable to those used across the wider technology industry.
TikTok also stressed that it does not permit content promoting eating disorders or encouraging dangerous weight management behaviours, maintaining that its community standards are designed to protect younger audiences from harmful material.
The platform confirmed it will cooperate fully with Ofcom throughout the investigation and intends to demonstrate compliance with its legal obligations.
Search Engines Also Under Regulatory Pressure
Ofcom simultaneously highlighted wider concerns regarding children’s ability to access explicit online material through internet search engines.
Research conducted by the regulator found that many pornography websites lacking mandatory age verification measures remain easily discoverable through common search results.
According to the findings, roughly one-third of first-page Google Search results and more than half of comparable Bing results directed users to websites without effective age checks.
Although UK law now requires websites containing pornographic material to implement robust age verification systems, Ofcom estimates that approximately one-quarter of the country’s most popular adult websites continue operating without adequate safeguards.
The regulator confirmed that both Google and Microsoft’s Bing search engine will continue working alongside Ofcom to reduce the visibility of non-compliant websites.
Google stated that it automatically activates SafeSearch protections for users identified or inferred to be under the age of 18, helping filter explicit content and create a safer browsing experience. Microsoft declined to comment on the regulator’s findings.
Regulatory Pressure on Technology Platforms Continues to Intensify
The investigation into TikTok marks another milestone in the UK’s increasingly assertive approach toward online safety regulation. As digital platforms become central to the daily lives of children and teenagers, regulators are placing greater emphasis on accountability, age verification and effective content moderation.
With further government reforms expected in the coming months, major technology companies are likely to face even closer examination regarding their compliance with child protection requirements. The outcome of Ofcom’s investigation could establish an important precedent for how digital platforms implement age assurance technologies and fulfil their responsibilities under the UK’s evolving online safety framework.