The UK’s media regulator, Ofcom, has initiated a formal investigation into TikTok to assess whether the platform is taking sufficient measures to restrict children's access to its services. The probe focuses specifically on the effectiveness of the app's age-verification technology and its ability to shield minors from inappropriate material.

A central point of the inquiry is TikTok’s use of "age inference," a technology that estimates a user's age based on their behavioral patterns and interactions on the platform. Kate Davies, Ofcom’s group director for strategy and research, expressed "serious doubts" regarding the efficacy of these tools, noting that current industry methods for verifying age are often insufficient. Under the Online Safety Act (OSA), platforms are mandated to implement "highly effective" systems to ensure users meet age requirements and to prevent children from encountering harmful content.

The investigation follows a May review by the regulator that criticized TikTok's safety standards for younger users. Andy Burrows, chief executive of the Molly Rose Foundation, welcomed the move, characterizing the platform's history as having "egregious failures" in protecting children from harmful content. He further urged regulators to address the platform's algorithmic practices.

In response, a TikTok spokesperson stated that the company is confident in its compliance with the Online Safety Act. The representative emphasized that the platform invests heavily in safety and utilizes advanced age-inference technologies consistent with industry standards. Legal experts, however, have suggested that current enforcement mechanisms may need to be more stringent to ensure full compliance and provide a meaningful deterrent against safety failures.

Source: BBC News