According to a report by Ofcom, YouTube and TikTok have failed to implement steps to safeguard British children from harmful online content. Data suggests widespread exposure to underage kids on these platforms.
TikTok, YouTube ignoring child safety
Ofcom media regulators said none of the company made any serious efforts to make recommendations feeds/explore pages safer, despite proof that these platforms are the main entry point through which underage kids face harm.
Platforms not safe enough
Ofcom said the platforms are “not safe enough”. The report comes after Ofcom’s call for stricter action on children’s online safety, saying Roblox, meta, and Snap had each complied to stronger anti-grooming actions.
TikTok said it was quite disappointing that Ofcom didn’t acknowledge its safety measures, whereas Youtube said it worked with child safety researchers to give industry grade, age-appropriate experiences for children.
About the Ofcom report
Ofcom’s latest report explains how five large social media and video platforms responded to its call for safety measures. The report said that, "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.” Ofcom added, "Our wealth of evidence, published today, suggests they are still not safe enough."
What did YouTube and TikTok say?
Responding to the criticism, YouTube and TikTok said that safety measures already existed. YouTube’s short-form video timer allowed parents to control scrolling time for Shorts feed, whereas TikTok stopped direct messaging (DM) for under-16 children.
Governments have taken measures to address online child safety. UK PM Keir Starmer has urged social media platforms to take greater responsibility. Britain is discussing tighter restrictions, this includes a potential ban on under-16 children that use social media, inspired from Australia's landmark decision that tackled addictive design features.
According to social media analyst Matt Navarra, the report has shown a shift in how we perceive online harm as a “product problem.” Earlier, the 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?”
What does the data say?
Ofcom reported that 73% of 11-17 year olds were exposed to malicious content for four weeks, primarily through recommendation feeds. TikTok was the most cited, followed by YouTube, Instagram and Snapchat. Experts stress that YouTube and TikTok said their existing platforms were adequate, but media regulators have found their feeds to be unsafe.
