Ofcom Children's Online Safety: Platform Duties, Age Verification and Social Media Restrictions

The Online Safety Act and children

The Online Safety Act 2023 places children's safety at the centre of online regulation. Under the Act, user-to-user services and search engines accessible to UK users must take specific steps to protect children from harm. The duties apply to all regulated services -- from the largest global platforms to smaller UK-based apps -- if they are likely to be accessed by children.

Ofcom has published children's safety codes of practice under the Act, setting out the specific measures that platforms must implement to comply with their child safety duties. The codes are the primary way platforms demonstrate compliance: following the codes creates a safe harbour presumption of compliance with the underlying legal duty.

What platforms must do to protect children

Platforms must conduct a children's risk assessment to identify the ways in which their service could cause harm to children. This assessment must be completed before the duties fully apply and must be reviewed regularly. The risk assessment covers: content risks (exposure to harmful content), contact risks (communication with potentially harmful adults), conduct risks (harmful behaviour between users) and commercial risks (inappropriate advertising or purchases).

Based on the risk assessment, platforms must implement appropriate safeguards. For services likely to be accessed by children, this includes age-appropriate design: default settings that protect younger users, restricted access to features that could expose children to harm, and limits on how personal data from children can be used.

Algorithm restrictions for under-18 users

One of the most significant requirements under the children's safety codes is the restriction of algorithm-driven content recommendations for under-18 users. Platforms that use recommendation algorithms to suggest content to users -- as YouTube, TikTok, Instagram and similar services do -- must ensure that their algorithms do not recommend harmful content to children. This includes content promoting eating disorders, self-harm, violence, and other categories identified in Ofcom's risk framework.

The requirement goes beyond simply removing harmful content from the platform. Platforms must also ensure that their algorithms do not actively surface borderline or harmful content to young users, even if that content technically complies with community standards. Ofcom can investigate whether a platform's algorithmic systems meet the required standard.

Social media restrictions for under-16s

On 15 June 2026, the UK Government announced that social media platforms would face new restrictions to limit under-16s' access. Ofcom issued a statement confirming its role in implementing these requirements through the Online Safety Act framework. Ofcom's children's codes will be updated or supplemented to reflect the new restrictions, which require platforms to implement robust age verification and age-appropriate access controls for users under 16.

The government's announcement builds on Ofcom's earlier work. In March 2026, Ofcom told tech firms to keep underage children off their platforms, setting out clear expectations for industry before formal enforcement. The June 2026 announcement signals that these expectations are being reinforced with specific statutory requirements.

Age verification for adult content

The Online Safety Act requires online pornography services to implement effective age verification systems. This was one of the earliest provisions to be enforced. Ofcom fined a pornography website 600,000 pounds in May 2026 for failing to implement age verification, and fined a second site in June 2026 for the same failure. These are the first enforcement actions under Ofcom's online safety powers and signal Ofcom's willingness to use fines to drive compliance.

Age verification systems must be robust enough to reliably prevent children from accessing adult content. Simple self-declaration (asking users to click a button confirming they are over 18) does not meet the required standard. Platforms must implement technology that provides a meaningful verification barrier -- such as credit card checks, digital identity verification, or third-party age assurance services.

Ofcom's May 2026 children's media research

Ofcom published its latest Children's Media Lives research in May 2026. The research found that younger children are getting smartphones at earlier ages, AI chatbot use is rising significantly among young people, and children are increasingly consuming content rather than creating it. The research also highlighted growing use of short-form video platforms and gaming as primary media activities.

This research directly informs Ofcom's regulatory priorities. The rise of AI chatbot use among children raises new questions about how the Online Safety Act applies to AI services accessible to young people -- an area where Ofcom has published separate guidance. The research will feed into Ofcom's ongoing review of its children's codes of practice.

Frequently asked questions

What does the Online Safety Act require platforms to do to protect children?

Platforms must: conduct children's risk assessments, implement age-appropriate design, restrict harmful algorithm recommendations for under-18 users, verify ages for adult content, and implement safeguards based on their specific risk profile. Ofcom publishes children's codes of practice that set out what compliance looks like in practice.

What are Ofcom's children's codes of practice?

Ofcom's children's codes of practice are published under the Online Safety Act 2023. They set out specific measures that platforms must implement to protect children: age-appropriate design, algorithm restrictions for under-18 users, age verification, and other safeguards. Following the codes creates a presumption of compliance with the legal duty. The codes are updated as Ofcom develops its regulatory approach.

What are the social media restrictions for under-16s announced in June 2026?

On 15 June 2026, the UK Government announced new restrictions requiring social media platforms to implement controls limiting under-16s' access. Ofcom confirmed its role in implementing the requirements through the Online Safety Act framework. Platforms must implement robust age verification and age-appropriate controls. Ofcom's children's codes will be updated to reflect the specific requirements.

Has Ofcom fined any platforms for failing to protect children?

Yes. In May 2026, a pornography website was fined 600,000 pounds for failing to implement effective age verification as required to protect children from adult content. A second site was fined in June 2026 for the same failure. These were the first enforcement actions under Ofcom's online safety powers and signal that Ofcom will use fines to drive compliance.

What is age verification under the Online Safety Act?

Age verification requires online services hosting adult content to implement systems that reliably prevent children from accessing that content. Self-declaration (clicking a button saying you are over 18) does not meet the required standard. Effective age verification includes credit card checks, digital identity verification or third-party age assurance services that provide a meaningful technical barrier.

What did Ofcom's May 2026 children's media research find?

Ofcom's May 2026 Children's Media Lives research found that younger children are getting smartphones earlier, AI chatbot use is rising among young people, and children are increasingly consuming rather than creating content. The research highlighted short-form video platforms and gaming as primary activities. These findings inform Ofcom's regulatory priorities and codes of practice development.

What happens to platforms that fail to protect children?

Platforms that fail to comply with Ofcom's children's safety codes face fines of up to 10% of global annual turnover under the Online Safety Act. For persistent or serious non-compliance, Ofcom can apply to court for a service restriction order -- requiring UK internet service providers to block access to the non-compliant platform. For the largest global platforms, 10% of global turnover could represent billions of pounds.

Does the Online Safety Act cover AI chatbots used by children?

Ofcom has published guidance on AI chatbots and online regulation. AI chatbot services accessible to children are subject to Online Safety Act duties if they allow user-to-user communication or could expose children to harm. Age verification and algorithm restrictions apply. Ofcom is developing its approach to AI services under the OSA framework as the technology evolves.