16s social media ban set out

Key Points:

• Ofcom has recommended four effective methods for verifying social media users' ages in the UK, including photo ID matching, banking-based checks, face age estimation technology, and digital ID services, to enforce the upcoming ban on users under 16 accessing major platforms like Instagram and TikTok.
• The UK government plans to implement a social media age ban starting March next year, aiming to prevent under-16s from accessing ten major platforms, with a tougher approach than Australia's similar ban, which faced circumvention issues.
• Tech companies are responsible for implementing age verification systems that comply with privacy and data protection standards, while some suggest device-level verification via app stores, a measure already partly adopted by Apple in the UK.
• Ofcom acknowledges challenges in verifying ages under 18 due to limited ID availability among teenagers and admits some underage users may bypass checks, emphasizing that successful enforcement will require collaboration between regulators, tech firms, and the public.
• The government will review Ofcom's report on age verification methods and is expected to make a final decision by the end of the year, with Ofcom committed to ensuring social media companies implement effective age checks.