Ofcom says TikTok and YouTube not safe enough for children

The UK's communications regulator has declared that TikTok and YouTube are not safe enough for children, citing a failure by both platforms to commit to significant new safety measures. Ofcom's report, published Thursday, found that personalized recommendation feeds, the primary way children encounter content, continue to expose young users to harmful material.

The regulator stated that neither TikTok nor YouTube had set out meaningful steps to reduce harmful content for children, despite being asked to do so. Ofcom said its own evidence suggests their feeds remain unsafe, contradicting the platforms' assertions that existing systems are sufficient. In response, a TikTok spokesperson expressed disappointment that Ofcom did not acknowledge its safety features, while YouTube emphasized its work with child safety experts to provide age-appropriate experiences.

The report highlighted that other major platforms have agreed to adopt further protections. Snapchat will block adult strangers from contacting children by default in the UK and expand age checks. Meta plans to use artificial intelligence tools to detect likely sexualized conversations in direct messages on Instagram and will...