UK Puts TikTok Under Investigation Over Safeguarding of Children Online
The United Kingdom has initiated an inquiry into TikTok’s measures to safeguard children from harmful content online, questioning whether the social media platform is taking sufficient action under the nation’s Online Safety Act.
Britain’s communications regulator Ofcom said on Thursday it was looking into whether TikTok has met its legal duties to safeguard children on the app. The inquiry will be particularly focused on TikTok’s age verification system and its effectiveness in preventing children from accessing inappropriate content, the regulator said.
In a statement, Ofcom will investigate whether there is a reasonable cause for concern that TikTok is not, or is not becoming, compliant with its legal obligations.
The investigation follows a series of steps by regulators to make sure technology firms are making online spaces safer for kids. The UK’s Online Safety Act places a duty on digital platforms to put measures in place to protect children from harmful content, such as suicide, self-harm, eating disorders and child sexual abuse material.
Businesses should also safeguard young users against online bullying, misogynistic, violent, hateful and abusive content, and dangerous online challenges.
Responding to the investigation, TikTok, which is owned by China’s ByteDance, said it was confident its safety measures comply with the law.
A TikTok spokesperson said that the platform has strict age-appropriate experiences, with advanced age inference technologies and platform rules informed by experts, following major industry peers.
Last year, the Online Safety Act was passed, which will enable Ofcom to probe technology firms that don’t do enough to keep children safe online. Businesses that are caught in violation of the law may be fined up to £18 million or 10 per cent of their turnover worldwide.
The findings of the investigation may have important implications for the way that social media platforms verify users’ ages and increase safeguards for children using digital services in the UK.
