UK regulators pressure platforms on AI-driven child safety controls
UK regulators Ofcom and the Information Commissioner's Office required major social media platforms to strengthen AI-driven age verification and content safety controls by 30 April 2026, citing concerns that algorithmic feeds expose children to harmful content and that companies are not enforcing their own minimum age policies.
What happened
On 12 March 2026, UK regulators Ofcom and the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) issued requirements to Meta, TikTok, Snapchat, YouTube and Roblox to strengthen AI-driven child safety controls on their platforms. The regulators stated that the companies are not adequately enforcing their own minimum age rules.
Ofcom required the platforms to demonstrate by 30 April 2026 how they would strengthen age verification controls, restrict contact between strangers and children, increase feed safety, and halt testing new products with minors. The ICO separately issued an open letter requesting adoption of 'modern and viable' age verification tools to prevent children under 13 from accessing services not intended for them.
Reported impact
The regulators expressed growing concern that algorithmic feeds expose children to harmful or potentially addictive content. Ofcom stated that these major online services are not placing child safety at the centre of their products.
Index analysis
The action forms part of the latest phase of implementing the UK's Online Safety Act. The regulators noted that the companies already possess modern technology to verify age and therefore have no excuse for non-compliance.
Governance controls
Meta stated it already uses AI-based age detection and estimation tools and places teenagers in accounts with built-in protections, and suggested that age verification should be handled centrally at app store level. YouTube stated it offers age-appropriate experiences and expressed surprise at Ofcom's risk-based approach. Roblox stated it has launched protective measures.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.