UK watchdogs tell social media giants to do more to keep children off platforms

The debate over whether teenagers should be banned from social media is far from settled in the UK.

While lawmakers recently rejected a proposal to block under-16s from joining platforms entirely, the conversation about children’s safety online is clearly not going away.

Instead of banning teenagers outright, Britain’s regulators are now shifting their focus to the tech companies themselves.

Ofcom and the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) have warned several major platforms that they must do far more to prevent children from accessing services not designed for them.

The companies under scrutiny include Meta’s Facebook and Instagram, Roblox, Snap’s Snapchat, ByteDance’s TikTok and Alphabet’s YouTube.

Regulators say they are increasingly concerned about algorithm-driven feeds that can expose young users to harmful or addictive content.

“These online services are household names, but they’re failing to put children’s safety at the heart of their products,” said Ofcom chief executive Melanie Dawes.

“That must now change quickly, or Ofcom will act.”

Platforms asked to tighten age checks

The warning comes as part of the latest implementation phase of Britain’s Online Safety Act.

Under the new requirements, the platforms have been told to explain by April 30 how they plan to strengthen protections for children.

This includes improving age-verification systems, preventing strangers from contacting minors, making recommendation feeds safer and stopping companies from testing new products on children.

At the same time, the Information Commissioner’s Office has issued an open letter urging the same platforms to adopt what it described as “modern, viable” age-assurance technologies.

These tools, regulators say, could help stop children under 13 from accessing services that are not meant for them.

“There’s now modern technology at your fingertips, so there is no excuse,” said ICO chief executive Paul Arnold.

Fines could reach billions

The UK’s Online Safety Act gives regulators significant powers to enforce these rules.

Ofcom can fine companies up to 10 per cent of their qualifying global revenue if they fail to comply, while the ICO can issue penalties of up to 4% of a company’s global annual turnover for breaches involving personal data.

The privacy watchdog has already shown it is willing to act. Last month, Reddit was fined nearly £14.5 million for failing to introduce meaningful age checks and for unlawfully processing children’s data.

For regulators, the message to tech companies is increasingly clear.

Even without a full ban on teenagers using social media, platforms are still expected to take responsibility for making their digital spaces safer for young users.