Ofcom says major platforms will introduce new child safety measures in the UK
New child safety commitments secured by Ofcom include tighter contact settings, AI detection tools, and direct chat controls.
Ofcom said Snap, Meta, and Roblox plan to introduce additional child safety measures in the UK following regulatory pressure to strengthen protections against online grooming.
The commitments were outlined in an Ofcom report reviewing how major platforms responded to requests for stronger child safety protections. The measures include changes to contact settings, age assurance systems, AI-assisted detection tools, and controls for direct messaging.
According to Ofcom, Snap committed to implementing all recommended grooming prevention measures under the regulator’s Illegal Harms Codes. The changes will prevent adult strangers from contacting children by default, prevent children from being encouraged to expand their friendship groups to people they do not know, and introduce stronger age checks for UK users over the summer.
Roblox said it would expand existing protections, including parental controls for direct chat functions involving younger users. Meta said it plans to introduce additional privacy settings for teen accounts and AI-assisted detection tools for potentially inappropriate interactions.
Ofcom said it remains concerned about measures related to recommendation systems and harmful content exposure on some platforms. The regulator said evidence shows children’s exposure to harmful content has changed little since online safety duties came into force in July 2025.
The regulator also said platforms have not yet demonstrated effective enforcement of minimum age requirements. Its research found that 84% of children aged 8 to 12 were still using one of the top five online services, despite minimum age rules.
Ofcom has written to the UK Secretary of State advising that online safety legislation would need a clearer basis if Parliament wants the regulator to force platforms to enforce minimum age policies effectively.
Ofcom’s action plan includes monitoring implementation, reviewing recommender system risks, considering enforcement action, and continuing research into children’s online experiences.
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