Finance
UK watchdogs press meta, TikTok, snap and YouTube to block children
Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on March 12, 2026
2 min readLast updated: March 12, 2026
Quick Summary
UK regulators Ofcom and the ICO have demanded by April 30 that Meta, TikTok, Snap, YouTube (and others) implement stronger age checks and safety features to protect children, under the Online Safety Act enforcement phase.
UK Watchdogs Push Social Media Platforms to Enforce Child Age Restrictions
Regulators Demand Stricter Age Verification and Child Safety Measures
Growing Concerns Over Children's Access to Social Media
LONDON, March 12 (Reuters) - Britain's media and privacy regulators on Thursday demanded that major social media platforms do more to keep children off their services, warning that companies were failing to enforce their own minimum age rules.
Britain has been weighing tougher curbs on children's access to social media, with the government considering barring under 16s from such platforms - mirroring a move by Australia.
Ofcom and the Information Commissioner's Office said they had grown increasingly concerned about algorithmic feeds that expose children to harmful or addictive content.
Calls for Immediate Action from Social Media Companies
"These online services are household names, but they're failing to put children's safety at the heart of their products," Melanie Dawes, Ofcom's chief executive, said.
"That must now change quickly, or Ofcom will act."
Implementation of the Online Safety Act
Use of Modern Technology for Age Assurance
USE 'MODERN' TECH, COMPANIES TOLD
In the latest implementation phase of Britain's Online Safety Act, Ofcom told Facebook and Instagram - both owned by Meta - as well as Roblox, Snapchat, ByteDance's TikTok and Alphabet's YouTube to show by April 30 how they would tighten age checks, restrict strangers from contacting children, make feeds safer and stop testing new products on minors.
The ICO separately issued an open letter to the same platforms, calling on them to adopt "modern, viable" age-assurance tools to stop those under 13 accessing services not designed for them.
"There's now modern technology at your fingertips, so there is no excuse," Paul Arnold, ICO's chief executive, said.
Potential Penalties for Non-Compliance
Fines and Enforcement Actions
Ofcom can fine companies up to 10% of their qualifying global revenue, while the ICO can issue fines of up to 4% of a company's global annual turnover.
The privacy watchdog last month fined Reddit nearly 14.5 million pounds for failing to introduce meaningful age checks and for processing children's data unlawfully.
($1 = 0.7439 pounds)
(Reporting by Sam TabahritiEditing by Paul Sandle and Tomasz Janowski)
Key Takeaways
- •Ofcom and ICO are pushing platforms like Meta, TikTok, Snap and YouTube to tighten age-assurance, restrict contact by strangers, and safeguard algorithmic feeds by April 30, threatening hefty fines for non-compliance (up to 10% Ofcom / 4% ICO of global turnover).
- •The Online Safety Act requires “highly effective” age assurance technologies—such as open banking ID checks, facial estimation or mobile operator validation—and Ofcom guidance from January 2025 defines which methods qualify as robust enough.
- •The UK government is consulting (March 2026) on more aggressive rules—including potentially barring under‑16s from social platforms, banning addictive features like infinite scroll, and extending OSA duties to AI chatbots.
Frequently Asked Questions about UK watchdogs press Meta, TikTok, Snap and YouTube to block children
1Which UK regulators are demanding stricter age checks on social media?
Ofcom and the Information Commissioner's Office are urging major platforms to tighten age verification.
2What could happen if social media companies fail to comply with UK regulations?
Ofcom can fine companies up to 10% of their global revenue, and ICO can issue fines up to 4% of annual turnover.
3Which social media platforms are targeted by the UK's new demands?
Meta (Facebook, Instagram), TikTok, Snap, YouTube, and Roblox have been given until April 30 to outline compliance.
4What new requirements must social media firms meet under the Online Safety Act?
They must implement tighter age checks, restrict stranger contact with minors, make feeds safer, and stop testing new products on children.
5Has any company already been fined under these privacy concerns?
Yes, Reddit was fined nearly 14.5 million pounds for failing to implement effective age checks and protect children's data.
