Ofcom identifies four age-check methods for UK social media ban
The restrictions are due to begin in March, covering ten major platforms. Ofcom says many adults will also need to verify their age.
Britain’s communications regulator, Ofcom, has identified four methods it considers reliable for determining whether social media users have reached 16, ahead of restrictions scheduled for March. The ban will apply to ten major platforms, among them Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat.
The options are matching photo identification against a live image, checking age records held by banks, using digital identity services and estimating age from a face. Ofcom recommends supplementing facial estimates with another check because their error margin spans several years.
The government is due to decide which checks to require before the year ends. Ofcom will not mandate one method, but says platforms must protect privacy and personal data. It estimates that about 94% of people aged 16 and 17 have photo identification; all four methods require some form of it.
Checks using credit cards, mobile networks or email were excluded because they establish only whether someone is 18. Ofcom also rejected users declaring their own age, contractual conditions and parental permission as ineffective.
Previous activity may allow platforms to infer that some users are adults, but Ofcom expects many adults to undergo verification. Meta told the BBC it favors a single check through Apple’s and Google’s app stores. Ofcom said that approach would not remove platforms’ responsibility for their own checks.
Ofcom acknowledges that some children will evade the controls and plans simpler reporting of suspected underage accounts, age-inference models and monitoring for 12 months after implementation. Privacy campaigners raised concerns about anonymity and identity-data security. Child-safety organizations welcomed the guidance, while also calling for enforcement.
