UK’s online safety watchdog investigates TikTok’s ‘age inference’ system

WorldTechnology
16 Jul 2026 • 6:48 PM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

The world’s most free-thinking newspaper

UK’s online safety watchdog investigates TikTok’s ‘age inference’ system

  • Ofcom has launched an investigation into TikTok over concerns about children's exposure to harmful content.
  • The inquiry focuses on TikTok's “age inference” system, which the regulator questions as an effective method for verifying user age.
  • Ofcom also warned that children can easily find pornography sites without adequate age checks via search engines, despite rules being in force for almost a year.
  • Around a quarter of the UK's most popular pornography services still lack age verification, and search results from Google and Bing often lead to these sites.
  • The watchdog has fined providers of 24 pornography sites over £4 million for non-compliance and is urging tech companies and search engines to implement stronger age assurance measures.

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