Wire · regulatory
Ofcom launches investigation into TikTok child safety concerns
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Fusion42 · 16 July 2026 · Fusion42 review
Ofcom has launched an investigation into TikTok's age-verification systems, specifically scrutinising the platform's use of 'age inference' technology to prevent children accessing the app and harmful content. The probe follows a May regulatory review that found TikTok insufficiently safe for children and comes one month after the UK government announced plans to ban under-16s from certain platforms entirely.
This Wire brief sits within Fusion42's coverage of Social & Community.
◆ ◆ The Wire takeaway
If you build age-verification or content-filtering tools, UK social platforms now have to buy from you instead of guessing. Ofcom just called out the guessing — age inference is failing the 'highly effective' standard, and TikTok, Instagram and others will need provable solutions within months.
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1 source · 16 Jul 2026
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