Ofcom outlines age-check methods for social media

UK media regulator Ofcom has recommended several ways social media companies could check whether users are old enough to access their services. The proposals relate to a planned UK ban on social media use by people under 16, due to take effect in March next year. The measures are subject to government approval.

Ofcom identified four methods it considers highly effective: matching photo ID with a live image; checking age information held by a bank or other financial institution; using facial age-estimation technology; and digital ID services that can confirm a person’s age. The regulator says facial age estimation has recently improved.

Companies would choose how to put checks in place, but Ofcom says they must protect privacy and personal data. CEO Dame Melanie Dawes told the BBC that the regulator’s experience with age checks for pornography sites showed that prescribing a single method had not worked elsewhere.

Some technology companies, including Meta, have called for age checks at the device level, which could prevent under-age users from installing social media apps. Ofcom says this would not remove platforms’ responsibility to carry out their own checks. Apple has already introduced age verification in the UK.

Ofcom said it could not estimate how many adults would need to prove they were at least 16. It also acknowledged that some children might bypass the checks. The government is due to consider the report and make a decision by the end of the year.