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The UK’s media regulator, Ofcom, has issued a sharp criticism of TikTok and YouTube, declaring their content algorithms “not safe enough” for children.
The findings, published in a new report examining how five major tech giants protect young users, reveal a growing divide in Silicon Valley’s response to online safety.
While competitors Meta, Snap, and Roblox agreed to implement stronger anti-grooming measures, Ofcom noted that TikTok and YouTube failed to commit to significant changes. Instead, both platforms maintained that their current feeds are already safe.
“Our wealth of evidence suggests they are still not safe enough,” Ofcom stated.
In response, YouTube defended its “industry-leading, age-appropriate” experiences, while TikTok expressed disappointment that Ofcom failed to acknowledge its existing safety features. Both platforms pointed to current tools, such as TikTok’s restriction on direct messaging for under-16s and YouTube’s parental timers for short-form videos.
However, industry experts say the paradigm has shifted. “The old debate was, ‘did the platform remove harmful content quickly enough?’” said social media analyst Matt Navarra. “The new one has shifted towards, ‘why did the platform show it to a child in the first place?’”
Enforcement actions and age-limit debate
Ofcom Chief Executive Dame Melanie Dawes defended the regulator’s pace against critics, citing a “twenty-year culture at Silicon Valley of not taking safety seriously.” Dawes warned that Ofcom is ready to launch formal investigations and take the “toughest enforcement action” if compliance is not met.
The regulator is particularly concerned with age verification. An Ofcom survey revealed that 84% of children aged 8 to 12 are using platforms with a minimum age requirement of 13.
The report arrives at a critical political juncture. A UK government consultation regarding a potential social media ban for under-16s is set to close on May 26. Reinforcing this momentum, the parliamentary Education Committee published its response on Thursday, firmly backing a statutory ban.
“Social media firms cannot be relied upon to self-regulate,” said Committee Chair Helen Hayes MP, calling for a “total reset” that puts child safety ahead of commercial incentives.
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