Ofcom Investigates Tiktok's Age Verification and Child Safety Issues

WHO:

Politico - Ofcom, the UK online safety watchdog, is involved in the investigation of TikTok.

Deadline - TikTok is the subject of the investigation regarding its age verification processes.

WHAT:

Engadget - Ofcom is assessing whether TikTok is doing enough to protect children from harmful content.

Politico - Ofcom has launched a probe into TikTok over compliance with the Online Safety Act.

Deadline - Ofcom raised "serious doubts" about TikTok's ability to identify users under 18.

Deadline - Ofcom published its first Age Assurance Report on the same day as the announcement of the investigation.

WHERE:

Deadline - The investigation is being conducted in the UK.

WHEN:

Deadline - TikTok is set to be banned for kids and teens in the coming months.

WHY:

Politico - Ofcom is concerned about the effectiveness of TikTok's use of "age inference" to determine users' ages.

HOW:

Deadline - The investigation focuses on TikTok's methods for identifying the age of its users.

(UPDATED July 16, 2026 15:28 UTC)

Ofcom is currently evaluating TikTok's efforts to safeguard children from harmful content. The assessment comes amid growing concerns about the platform's impact on young users. This review aims to determine if TikTok is taking adequate measures to ensure a safe online environment for children.

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(UPDATED July 16, 2026 11:29 UTC)

Ofcom, the UK online safety watchdog, has launched an investigation into TikTok regarding its age verification processes and compliance with the Online Safety Act, raising serious doubts about the platform's ability to identify users under 18. On the same day as the announcement of the investigation, Ofcom published its first Age Assurance Report, highlighting concerns about TikTok's use of "age inference" to determine user ages. In the coming months, TikTok is set to be banned for kids and teens in the UK as this probe continues.