Ofcom is investigating TikTok for potential breaches of the Online Safety Act regarding child safety, focusing on the platform's 'age inference' models. The watchdog is concerned these methods may not be highly effective in identifying child users, potentially exposing them to harmful content. TikTok faces potential fines of up to £18 million or 10% of its worldwide revenue if found in breach.
The investigation signals a move towards enforcement of the UK's Online Safety Act, potentially leading to significant fines for TikTok and setting a precedent for other platforms relying on age inference technology.
The UK's online safety regulator, Ofcom, has launched a formal investigation into TikTok, citing concerns that the platform's age inference models may not be effective in protecting children from harmful content. The investigation focuses on whether TikTok's methods for determining user ages are sufficiently robust, as these techniques may fail to correctly identify a significant proportion of children, potentially exposing them to harmful material. Failure to comply with the Act could result in fines of up to £18 million or 10% of TikTok's qualifying worldwide revenue. TikTok maintains that it enforces age-appropriate experiences through platform rules and advanced age inference technologies, aligning with industry peers. Ofcom has expressed serious doubts about other platforms' age inference methods and noted that search engines like Google and Bing are directing users to pornography sites without adequate age checks, and is working with them to address this.
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