TikTok and YouTube 'not safe enough' for kids, says Ofcom

Ofcom has criticised TikTok and YouTube, saying in a new report their content feeds are "not safe enough" for children. The findings follow the regulator's call for stronger action on children's online safety, and said Meta, Snap and Roblox had each agreed to stronger anti-grooming measures. Ofcom added it would share concerns that sites were not effectively enforcing minimum age rules with the government, whose consultation on whether to ban social media for under-16s soon ends.

YouTube said it worked with child safety experts to provide "industry-leading, age-appropriate" experiences for children. TikTok said it was "very disappointing" Ofcom had failed to acknowledge its safety features. "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," it said. "Our wealth of evidence, published today, suggests they are still not safe enough." In response, TikTok and YouTube pointed to safety features already in place on their apps - including TikTok stopping direct messaging for under-16s and YouTube's short-form video timer, where parents can set time limits for the scrolling Shorts feed. Social media consultant and analyst Matt Navarra said the criticism illustrated a shift to seeing online harms as "a product problem". "The old debate was, 'did the platform remove harmful content quickly enough?' - the new one has shifted towards, 'why did the platform show it to a child in the first place?'" he said. Speaking on the BBC's Today programme on Thursday, Ofcom chief executive Dame Melanie Dawes defended its actions but said she knew the job was "not done" yet. "We're talking about a twenty-year culture at Silicon Valley of not taking safety seriously; you can't change that overnight," she said. Asked what the regulator would do if platforms did not comply with its rules, Dame Melanie said Ofcom was "ready to take the toughest enforcement action". "We will absolutely move into a formal investigation if we need to," she added. In a separate statement before the report was published, Dawes said Ofcom was also "deeply concerned" companies were still failing to take the necessary action to keep underage children off their platforms. A survey by the regulator found 84% of children aged eight to 12 were still using at least one major service with a minimum age of 13, as it warned stronger legislation may be needed.

Key points

• YouTube said it worked with child safety experts to provide "industry-leading, age-appropriate" experiences for children.
• TikTok said it was "very disappointing" Ofcom had failed to acknowledge its safety features.
• "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," it said.
• "Our wealth of evidence, published today, suggests they are still not safe enough." In response, TikTok and YouTube pointed to safety features already in place on their apps - including TikTok stop…
• Social media consultant and analyst Matt Navarra said the criticism illustrated a shift to seeing online harms as "a product problem".