Ofcom sets out how social platforms could check users are over 16
The checks would fall on the platforms themselves, and the regulator accepts some children will still get past them.
Ofcom has published recommendations on how social media platforms could confirm which UK users are over 16, ahead of a planned ban on under-16s using ten major services such as Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat, due to take effect in March next year. It proposes four methods it considers highly effective: matching a photo ID against a live image, checking age information held by banks, estimating age from a face, and using digital ID services. Responsibility for implementing these checks would fall on the platforms themselves, and the regulator accepts that some children will still get round them. The proposals are subject to government approval, with a decision expected by the end of the year.
Why it matters
For UK parents and under-16s, the planned ban would only be as strong as the age checks behind it, and the regulator admits those will not stop every child. Platforms such as Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat would have to choose and run their own verification methods, while the government decides whether to adopt Ofcom's proposals by the end of the year. Whether the ban is enforced in practice will depend on that decision and on how well the chosen checks hold up.
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