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TikTok and YouTube have come under fresh scrutiny from the UK regulator Ofcom after failing to explain how their recommendation systems would stop harmful content from reaching children, even as Snap, Meta, and Roblox agreed to introduce new anti-grooming measures.
In a report released on Thursday, Ofcom said it remained “deeply concerned” about children’s exposure to harmful content online and warned that companies could face enforcement action under the UK’s Online Safety Act if they fail to improve their protections.
The regulator said TikTok and YouTube maintained that their feeds were already safe for children, but their evidence suggested otherwise.
Harmful content still reaching children: Ofcom challenged those claims with new research showing that nearly 73% of children aged 11 to 17 were exposed to harmful content online over a four-week period. More than a third said they came across such material while scrolling through platform feeds.
According to the regulator, 53% of secondary school children who reported seeing harmful content said they encountered it on TikTok, followed by 36% on YouTube, 34% on Instagram, and 31% on Facebook.
Ofcom said it had issued legally binding information requests to Meta, TikTok and YouTube seeking details about how their recommendation systems, moderation tools and child safety systems work. The regulator is also considering using new powers under the Online Safety Act to independently inspect how platforms’ algorithms, moderation systems and age-checking tools operate in real time.
Snap, Meta and Roblox promise new safety measures: In response to that pressure, the companies committed to new protections for UK users.
Snap said it will, by default, stop adult strangers from contacting children and end friend suggestions between minors and unknown users. The company also plans to introduce stronger age checks in the UK this summer.
Roblox said parents will be able to disable direct messaging entirely for users under 16.
Meta, meanwhile, said it plans to hide teenagers’ follower and connection lists on Instagram by default. The company also plans to deploy AI tools to detect potentially sexual conversations between adults and minors in direct messages.
Ofcom pushes wider crackdown: Despite the new commitments, Ofcom said platforms are still failing to enforce minimum age rules effectively. Its research found that 84% of children aged 8 to 12 were using at least one major platform that officially requires users to be 13 or older.
The regulator also said current UK online safety laws do not clearly allow it to force platforms to keep underage users off their services through mandatory age checks. It has now been written to the government seeking stronger legal backing.
In April, the regulator finalised legally binding child safety rules requiring platforms to introduce stronger age checks, filter harmful content from children’s recommendation feeds, improve moderation systems and give minors greater control over features such as comments, group chats and direct messages.
Earlier this month, the regulator said X had agreed to speed up the review of illegal hate speech and militant content after months of pressure. Ofcom said X committed to reviewing suspected illegal hate and terrorism-related posts within 24 hours on average and assessing at least 85% of reports within 48 hours. The regulator’s separate investigation into X’s moderation systems and Grok AI chatbot is still ongoing.
What Ofcom and child safety groups said: Dame Melanie Dawes, Ofcom’s Chief Executive, said: “These changes have the potential to make children’s lives safer online. Ofcom’s sustained public and private pressure on the tech platforms where children spend most time has delivered some significant safety improvements – particularly against grooming.”
However, she added: “We remain deeply concerned that, despite overwhelming evidence of harm, companies are still failing to take the necessary action to keep underage children off their platforms and make their feeds safer.”
Chris Sherwood, chief executive of the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC), said: “For far too long, tech giants have dragged their heels by refusing to address the harmful and addictive content flooding children’s feeds and putting them at risk.”
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