A comprehensive investigation has been initiated regarding TikTok’s child safety protocols.
This inquiry, launched by media regulator Ofcom, follows the UK government’s recent announcement of a total ban on under-16s accessing various platforms.
Ofcom aims to evaluate how video-sharing platforms like TikTok determine user age and whether they have sufficient safeguards against children accessing harmful content.
A TikTok representative stated: “We are confident in our compliance with the Online Safety Act and will collaborate with Ofcom to validate this.”
This investigation follows a regulatory review from May, which criticized TikTok for not being “safe enough” for younger users, prompting calls for enhanced measures to protect children online.
Kate Davies, director of Ofcom’s strategy and research group, noted in an interview with the BBC’s Today program: “This is where TikTok comes in. We have observed that certain age verification methodologies on social media are not functioning effectively.”
Central to Ofcom’s investigation is TikTok’s approach to “age inference” technology.
This technology estimates a user’s age based on their behavior on the platform, such as the types of videos they engage with and their interactions with other users.
Mr. Davies expressed “serious doubts” regarding whether such tools are adequate for age verification.
Regulators are advocating for social media platforms to implement “highly effective” methods for ensuring users’ age appropriateness.
“We have significant concerns regarding the effectiveness of age estimation,” she adds.
However, a TikTok spokesperson replied, “Like our industry-leading peers, we strictly enforce age-appropriate experiences through expert-driven platform guidelines and sophisticated age-inference technology.”
They highlighted that the company has invested “billions” into online safety initiatives since its launch in the UK eight years ago.
Source: www.bbc.co.uk