Ofcom Opens Formal Investigation Into TikTok Over Child Safety

Ofcom announced a formal investigation into TikTok over concerns the platform has failed to protect children from harmful content. The Guardian reported that the regulator expressed particular concerns about TikTok’s approach to checking the ages of users. The measures under the Online Safety Act to shield children from harmful online material took effect on 25 July 2025.

Ofcom stated that TikTok relies on inferring children’s ages from signals and that this method may have failed to correctly identify a significant proportion of children. The regulator said the investigation will determine whether there are reasonable grounds to believe TikTok has failed to comply with its legal obligations, including by using age assurance that is highly effective at correctly determining whether a user is a child.

Compliance failures could result in fines of up to £18m or 10% of qualifying worldwide revenue, whichever is greater, Ofcom said.

TikTok requires users to enter a date of birth when creating an account and uses technology that examines signals to check for indicators that someone may not meet its minimum age requirement. The Guardian reported that Ofcom also voiced serious doubts about other platforms using age inference techniques.

The regulator advised companies relying on such models to switch without delay to methods listed in its guidance as highly effective.

Ofcom’s research found that about one in 10 teenagers aged 15 to 17 were still using the three most-used dating apps in December 2025 despite age checks. TikTok is the third most used site or app by 8- to 14-year-olds after YouTube and WhatsApp, according to Ofcom studies.

Children spend an average of eight hours 45 minutes a week on video-sharing platforms including TikTok, YouTube, Twitch and DailyMotion.