Ofcom is working hard to keep children safer online and shield them from risks.
Websites that put UK children at risk of seeing unsuitable content must have age checks in place from 25th July 2025.
Internet regulator, Ofcom, says that during the last month, many large providers have started to comply and introduce changes which mean that children cannot freely access their services without age verification taking place.
Amongst those who have committed to introducing age checks are Porn Hub, X, Reddit, Bluesky, Discord and Grindr.
More protection online
Aside from age verification, Ofcom is also concerned about the ‘for you’ feeds that occur in numerous social media platforms, as these frequently expose children to harmful content that they did not seek out themselves. It wants providers to ‘tame’ their algorithms for children to block such content.
To check that providers are actively taking steps in this direction, Ofcom has announced a ‘monitoring and impact programme’ of social sites where children spend a lot of time, such as YouTube, Roblox, Snap, TikTok, Instagram and Facebook.
Ofcom will:
- review platforms’ efforts to assess online risks to children
- examine the practical actions they take to keep young people safe
- consult and research with children about their experiences
- take enforcement action against those that do not comply with the changes needed to keep children safe online.
It says its research confirms that most UK parents support these actions to improve online safety, although many remain sceptical about whether providers will comply.
