UK's Ofcom Warns TikTok & YouTube are "Still Not Safe Enough" for Kids in New Report

It seems the UK government is slowly losing patience with social media platforms. Following growing concerns around addictive feeds, harmful recommendations, and weak age protections, Britain is now reportedly considering much stricter online safety rules for children, including a possible social media ban for users under 16.

According to the latest report by Ofcom, the situation is still far from under control (via Reuters). The regulator says 73% of children between 11 and 17 encountered harmful content during a four-week study period, with personalized recommendation feeds being one of the biggest drivers.

TikTok and YouTube are now under extreme pressure

Among the major platforms, TikTok was reportedly mentioned most often by children exposed to harmful material. YouTube, Meta’s Instagram, and Snap’s Snapchat were also cited in Ofcom’s new report.

Interestingly, both TikTok and YouTube reportedly argued that their current safety systems remain sufficient. Ofcom, however, slams both platforms’ position, saying there are enough evidence that suggests recommendation feeds are “still not safe enough” for younger users.

The report additionally highlights how weak age enforcement still appears to be across the industry. Ofcom says 84% of children aged between 8 and 12 are already using platforms that officially require users to be at least 13 years old.

Platforms are now rushing to announce new protections

Several companies are already reacting to the mounting pressure. Snap has agreed to block adult strangers from contacting children by default while expanding age verification rules in Britain. Meta is introducing additional teen account protections alongside AI-powered tools designed to detect suspicious conversations.

Meanwhile, Roblox will reportedly let parents disable direct messaging for users under 16. Even X (formerly Twitter) has reportedly agreed to bolster enforcement around illegal hate speech and terrorist content. That’s result of a separate scrutiny by Ofcom.

All that said, the regulator also says that despite all these promises, kids’ exposure to harmful content online has “seen little overall improvement” since the Online Safety Act started taking effect.