Ofcom: TikTok, YouTube ‘not safe enough’ for children

Ofcom concluded in a recent report that TikTok and YouTube are “not safe enough” for children after reviewing how major online platforms manage risks to users under 18. The regulator found both platforms declined to adopt major changes to how they serve content to young users. Snap, Meta and Roblox agreed to introduce additional measures intended to reduce the risk of grooming and exposure to strangers.

The review assessed content moderation, age assurance and product design. The report states: “Notably, TikTok and YouTube failed to commit to any significant changes to reduce harmful content being served to children, maintaining their feeds are already safe for children.” Ofcom also cited a survey finding that 84% of children aged 8 to 12 used at least one service that lists a minimum age of 13.

Researchers using under-13 accounts reported encountering sexual content and offensive language within minutes of entering some Roblox games. Several U.S. child protection groups have asked regulators to investigate Roblox for alleged unfair or deceptive practices, pointing to in-game purchase mechanics that pressure children to spend, chat features that can expose children to strangers, and engagement features critics say may encourage excessive play.

Cybersecurity and privacy experts raised concerns about age-verification approaches that require government ID documents or biometric selfie data. They warned that centralizing sensitive personally identifiable information creates targets for hackers, increases the risk of identity theft, and can expose biometric data that cannot be changed.

Experts added that strict age gates can push children toward smaller or less-regulated sites that lack basic safeguards and may expose users to higher risks of malware, phishing and unmoderated harmful content. They recommended stronger moderation to remove harmful material, changes to recommendation systems to limit amplification of risky content, clearer platform accountability and avoiding invasive data collection.

Drew Benvie, CEO of Battenhall and founder of the youth safety nonprofit Raise, noted: “Although Roblox is implementing new age-based safety measures, young players are adept at circumventing these protections.” Ofcom said its findings will inform further engagement with the platforms it reviewed and contribute to policy discussions in the UK and internationally about protecting minors online while addressing privacy and security concerns.