The UK social media ban could shut out teenagers who cannot prove they are 16 or over, after Ofcom set out four age-check methods it says would be highly effective. The under-16 rules are due in March next year and would block ten of the biggest apps, including Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat. The Guardian reported that about 150,000 16- and 17-year-olds, old enough for the apps, do not have a passport or driving licence, the documents those checks are likely to need.
Key Takeaways
- Ofcom named four highly effective age checks ahead of the March under-16 ban.
- About 150,000 teens aged 16 to 17 lack a passport or driving licence.
- Firms design their own checks; app-store checks alone are not enough.
- The UK vowed a tougher approach by requiring highly effective age assurance.
How the UK Social Media Ban Will Work
Ofcom published a government-commissioned assessment on Thursday. Ministers have said they aim to introduce regulations to parliament this year. The BBC reported that the government will consider the report, with a decision due by the end of the year.
The government has not confirmed the full list, The Guardian said, but it is expected to match Australia’s: Facebook, Instagram, Kick, Reddit, Snapchat, Threads, TikTok, Twitch, X and YouTube. The ban is due next spring, The Guardian reported.
The BBC reported that the UK says it intends to take a tougher approach than Australia. POLITICO reported that the government vowed that approach by requiring platforms to use highly effective age assurance to identify underage users.
Many UK adults are also likely to have to confirm they are not under-age, using measures that still need government approval. Ofcom said it did not have a firm number for those accounts. The BBC reported that the regulator conceded it would be a large number of accounts that companies would need to deal with.
Four Age Checks, and Who They Leave Out
Ofcom says only four methods are highly effective at telling whether a user is 16 or over. Dame Melanie Dawes said providers must preserve privacy and protect data, but each firm puts in place what it thinks works.
| Method | What sources say it uses | ID note in the sources |
|---|---|---|
| Photo ID matching | Official ID checked against a live image | Passport or driving licence at some stage |
| Banking checks | Age a financial institution already holds | Passport or driving licence at some stage |
| Digital ID | An official digital ID, such as a Young Scot card | Passport or driving licence at some stage |
| Facial estimation | A selfie used to estimate age | May need a supplementary check |
POLITICO reported that three methods require a passport or driving licence at some stage. It said facial age estimation may in some cases need a supplementary check because of a high margin of error at younger ages. The Guardian reported that facial age estimation could be inaccurate by several years, and that official ID would probably be needed as a backstop.
Ofcom said available methods can be delivered in a way that protects users’ privacy and complies with data protection law. People without photo ID will likely need to take steps to obtain one, the regulator said. More than nine in 10 Britons over 16 have a passport or driving licence.
So what we’ve said all along is here are things that can work, they must preserve privacy, they must protect people’s data, but it’s on you to put in place what you think works for you.
Dame Melanie Dawes, Ofcom’s chief executive, told the BBC.
Meta wants device-level checks so an under-age person is blocked in the app store, rather than verifying on every service. It told the BBC it already uses some recommended methods for age rules and Teen Accounts. Apple has introduced age verification in the UK. Ofcom says that would not absolve networks of their own checks. See how Facebook rejected a Justice Department request to cancel chat encryption plans.
What Australia’s Ban Already Showed
Australia’s under-16 ban was imposed in December last year. In March, the eSafety commissioner said a substantial proportion of under-16s had flouted it. Among 900 Australian parents surveyed, 31% said their children still had one or more social media accounts after the ban, compared with 49% before the laws.
Dawes said: “We should expect that motivated children will seek to bypass the restrictions – just like alcohol laws can’t completely eradicate underage drinking.” She called the ban a huge cultural shift that will take time, with everyone having a part to play.
Ofcom has said the risk of circumvention cannot be entirely eliminated, and some children will succeed in bypassing the checks. POLITICO reported that platforms should let users report suspected underage accounts and use age inference to spot activity that may be underage.
The NSPCC and the Molly Rose Foundation welcomed the guidance but flagged lessons from Australia. Rani Govender, the NSPCC’s head of child safety online, said the UK needs to make sure it accurately knows the age of child users. Andy Burrows, of the Molly Rose Foundation, said Ofcom had a “dire track record” of enforcing the Online Safety Act.
What to Do Before March
If you are 16 or 17, the ban does not target you, but Ofcom said people without photo ID will likely need to obtain one to use age-restricted services. Jonny Blunt, corporate affairs director of BT’s consumer division, said families should prepare children for life online after the ban and highlight the risks of trying to dodge the restrictions.
- If you are 16 or 17 without a passport or driving licence, you will likely need to take steps to get photo ID.
- Do not treat an Apple or Google check as a substitute: Ofcom says networks still do their own checks.
- Blunt said families should highlight the risks of trying to dodge the restrictions.
- Many adults are also likely to have to confirm they are not under 16.
