TikTok and YouTube 'not safe enough' for kids, says Ofcom

["Ofcom has criticized TikTok and YouTube, saying in a new report that their content feeds are 'not safe enough' for children. The findings follow the regulator's call for stronger action on children's online safety, and said Meta, Snap, and Roblox had each agreed to stronger anti-grooming measures. Ofcom added it would share concerns that sites were not effectively enforcing minimum age rules with the government, whose consultation on whether to ban social media for under-16s soon ends.", "YouTube said it worked with child safety experts to provide 'industry-leading, age-appropriate' experiences for children.

TikTok said it was 'very disappointing' Ofcom had failed to acknowledge its safety features. Ofcom's criticism is part of a new report into how five large social media and video platforms responded to its demand for stronger protections for children. 'Notably, TikTok and YouTube failed to commit to any significant changes to reduce harmful content being served to children, maintaining their feeds are already safe for children,' it said.", "The report highlighted changes made by Snap, Roblox, and Meta which focused on reducing grooming risks.

Snap, which owns Snapchat, had agreed to block adult strangers from contacting children by default in the UK, stop encouraging children to add people they do not know, and introduce 'highly effective' age checks this summer. A Snapchat spokesperson said it would roll out these measures while 'preserving privacy protections and the ability for our community to stay connected with their real friends and family'.", "Social media consultant and analyst Matt Navarra said the criticism illustrated a shift to seeing online harms as 'a product problem'. 'The old debate was, 'did the platform remove harmful content quickly enough?' - the new one has shifted towards, 'why did the platform show it to a child in the first place?'' he said.

Ofcom Chief Executive Dame Melanie Dawes said the regulator was 'deeply concerned' companies were still failing to take the necessary action to keep underage children off their platforms.", "A survey by the regulator found 84% of children aged eight to 12 were still using at least one major service with a minimum age of 13, as it warned stronger legislation may be needed. Online safety researcher Prof Victoria Baines said the research was 'unsurprising' given the 'limited success' found so far in removing accounts belonging to under-16s in Australia following its social media ban. Andy Burrows, chief executive of Molly Rose Foundation, a UK-based online safety charity, welcomed the report, calling big tech platforms 'complacent and evasive when it comes to protecting children from preventable harm'.", "The government's consultation on whether to ban social media for under-16s is due to close on 26 May, with the government planning to respond in the summer.