UK authorities call on Meta, TikTok, Snap and YouTube to block underage users

Regulators in the United Kingdom have urged major social media companies to take stronger action to prevent children from accessing their platforms, warning that many firms are not properly enforcing their own minimum age policies.

The country has been considering stricter regulations on young people’s use of social media, with the government examining the possibility of banning users under 16 from such platforms — a proposal similar to measures already introduced in Australia.

The UK’s communications regulator Ofcom and the data protection authority Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) said they are increasingly worried about algorithm-driven content feeds that could expose children to harmful or addictive material.

Melanie Dawes, Chief Executive of Ofcom, said many of these platforms are widely used household brands but have failed to prioritise the safety of younger users.

“If companies do not act quickly to address these concerns, Ofcom will step in with enforcement measures,” she warned.

Calls for stronger safeguards

As part of the next stage in implementing the UK’s Online Safety Act, Ofcom has instructed several major platforms — including Meta’s Facebook and Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, Roblox and Alphabet’s YouTube — to outline by April 30 how they plan to strengthen protections for minors.

The regulators want companies to improve age-verification checks, limit contact between children and strangers, make recommendation algorithms safer for young users, and avoid testing new digital features on minors.

At the same time, the ICO sent an open letter to the same companies urging them to adopt modern age-assurance technologies to prevent children under 13 from accessing services that are not intended for them.

Paul Arnold, head of the ICO, said that with current technology available, companies have the tools needed to prevent underage access and should implement them without delay.

Possible financial penalties

Regulators also highlighted the consequences companies could face if they fail to comply with the rules. Ofcom has the authority to impose fines of up to 10 percent of a company’s global revenue, while the ICO can issue penalties reaching 4 percent of annual worldwide turnover.

Earlier this year, the ICO fined Reddit approximately £14.5 million after determining the platform had failed to introduce adequate age-verification measures and had improperly processed children’s personal data.

Authorities say the latest warnings are intended to ensure technology companies take stronger responsibility for protecting young users online.