Overview
Britain’s media regulator, Ofcom, has determined that TikTok and Alphabet-owned YouTube have not set out meaningful additional steps to shield children in the UK from harmful online content. The regulator based its assessment on research indicating that personalised recommendation feeds are the main channel through which young users encounter such material, and that existing company commitments fall short of making those feeds safe enough.
Research findings and exposure levels
Ofcom’s analysis found that 73% of 11- to 17-year-olds were exposed to harmful content over a four-week period, with most exposures occurring via personalised feeds. According to the regulator, TikTok was the platform cited most often by children in relation to such exposure, followed by YouTube, Meta’s Instagram and Snap’s Snapchat.
The regulator also reported that YouTube is used by 67% of children and TikTok by 60%, while 95% of children use at least one social media or video-sharing service. Ofcom highlighted weak enforcement of minimum age requirements, noting that 84% of children aged eight to 12 use services that stipulate a minimum user age of 13.
Company responses and regulator assessment
Ofcom said neither TikTok nor YouTube had made significant new commitments to improve the safety of recommendation feeds, despite evidence those feeds are the primary route through which children encounter harmful content. Both firms reportedly maintained that their existing systems are sufficient, but Ofcom concluded that available evidence suggested the feeds remain insufficiently safe.
A YouTube spokesperson responded by saying: "YouTube provides industry-leading, age-appropriate, high quality experiences for young viewers, working with child safety experts to deliver protections that support millions of families across the UK. We welcome today’s news that others across the industry will soon adopt similar features."
A TikTok spokesperson said it was "very disappointing that Ofcom has failed to acknowledge both our longstanding and newer safety features." Another company spokesperson was quoted as saying, "We will continue to make ongoing investments in safety measures for our users."
Actions from other platforms
In contrast to TikTok and YouTube, Snap, Meta and Roblox have agreed to introduce stronger protections against online grooming following Ofcom’s demands last month. Those platform-specific commitments include the following:
- Snap will block adult strangers from contacting children by default, and will expand age checks within Britain.
- Meta plans to implement new controls on teen accounts and to deploy AI tools intended to detect suspicious conversations.
- Roblox will give parents the option to disable direct messaging for users under 16.
Regulatory and legislative context
Nearly a year after child safety duties under the Online Safety Act took effect, Ofcom said there had been little overall improvement in children’s exposure to harmful content. The regulator argued that the current legislation does not clearly compel companies to keep underage users off their services and urged the government to strengthen the law to close that gap.
The UK government has been intensifying efforts to tackle online harms targeting children. Prime Minister Keir Starmer has urged social media companies to accept greater responsibility, and Britain is consulting on stricter limits, including a proposal modelled on Australia that could ban under-16s from using social media to address what the government describes as addictive design features.
Separate developments concerning X
In a related development, Elon Musk’s X has agreed to step up enforcement against illegal hate speech and terrorist content. The commitments include a pledge to review such material within 24 hours on average and to provide quarterly data to Ofcom. The regulator continues to examine X’s systems and its Grok chatbot, following findings earlier this year that Grok could generate sexualised images in many cases despite user warnings.
Implications and remaining questions
Ofcom’s findings underscore a regulatory focus on platform responsibility for recommendation systems and age verification. The regulator’s call for firmer legal requirements reflects concern that industry self-regulation and existing safety measures have not sufficiently reduced children’s exposure to harmful content. Where platforms have accepted new safeguards, regulators and policymakers will likely monitor implementation and effectiveness closely. For the platforms that have not introduced major new commitments, Ofcom has signalled continued scrutiny and an expectation of clearer action.
Data and figures cited
- 73% - Share of 11- to 17-year-olds exposed to harmful content over a four-week period, according to Ofcom research.
- 67% - Proportion of children who use YouTube.
- 60% - Proportion of children who use TikTok.
- 95% - Share of children using at least one social media or video-sharing service.
- 84% - Share of children aged eight to 12 who access services that require users to be at least 13.
Note: Company statements are included as provided by the companies.