UK regulator to probe TikTok on child safety measures
Ofcom launches investigation into TikTok's child protection practices
July 16 (Reuters) - Britain's media regulator launched an investigation into TikTok on Thursday to understand whether its UK unit failed or is failing to protect children from harmful content.
A month ago, the government imposed a blanket ban on social media for users under the age of 16 and placed restrictions on gaming and live-streaming platforms.
Details of the Ofcom investigation
Here are some more details on the investigation:
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Assessment of TikTok's child safety measures
Ofcom will look into whether the platform has measures to assess if a particular user is a child and adequate systems and processes to prevent children from viewing harmful content.
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Previous warnings to TikTok
In May, the regulator said TikTok had failed to set out meaningful steps to protect British children from harmful online content.
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Status of the investigation
The opening of an investigation does not mean that Ofcom has reached any conclusion about whether the provider has breached its duties, the regulator said.
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TikTok's response to the investigation
Company statement
TikTok denied any breaches: "We strictly enforce age-appropriate experiences through expert-informed platform rules and advanced age inference technologies, in line with major industry peers," a TikTok spokesperson said in a statement emailed to Reuters.
Commitment to compliance
"We are confident that we meet our Online Safety Act obligations and will work with Ofcom to demonstrate this."
Reporting credits
(Reporting by Prerna Bedi in Bengaluru; Editing by Sonia Cheema and Philippa Fletcher)
