Ofcom sets out four methods to verify social media users are 16 or over

Summarised from 5 outlets · Updated 29 Oct, 13:28 · Archive

Ofcom has recommended photo ID matching, banking checks, facial age estimation and digital ID services to verify users aged 16 or over ahead of the UK's social media ban in March.

Ofcom has set out four age verification methods it considers sufficiently reliable to identify which social media users are aged 16 or over, ahead of the UK's ban on under-16s accessing major platforms. The methods are: photo ID matching, where information on a government-issued ID such as a passport is checked against a live image taken during an age check; banking-based checks, where a financial institution confirms a user's age based on information held on record; digital ID services, which enable users to digitally prove their age; and facial age estimation technology.

The ban is due to come into force in March next year and will affect ten of the UK's biggest social media platforms, including Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat. Many UK adults are also likely to have to confirm that they are not under-age using one of the proposed measures. Ofcom acknowledged that age verification below 18 is challenging because 16 and 17 year olds often lack traditional forms of ID such as credit cards, full driving licences or passports, and may look significantly older or younger than they actually are.

The watchdog warned that some facial age estimation systems can be inaccurate by several years, and suggested platforms adopt an approach similar to retailers' Challenge 25 policy, requiring further proof of age where uncertainty remains. Around 150,000 British 16 and 17 year olds are estimated to have neither a passport nor a driving licence, potentially forcing some teenagers to obtain identification to retain their accounts.

Ofcom chief executive Dame Melanie Dawes said: 'This ban will shape the future of children's lives online, so it's important to get it right'. She added: 'When it comes into force next year, we'll be ready to take swift and firm action against any company that fails to comply'.

Ofcom's guidance is not law and requires government approval. A similar ban was introduced in Australia last year, but many children there have found ways around it. The UK says it intends to take a tougher approach. The BBC asked three of the UK's biggest banks whether they would have a process for assisting with social media requests for age verification if it became an official measure, but the outcome of those inquiries has not been reported.

How it is being reported

• Millions face ID checks under UK social media ban as Ofcom warns of loopholesMillions of British social media users could be forced to verify their age using passports or facial scans under new proposals from Ofcom, as the regulator prepares to enforce the government’s ban on under-16s. The watchdog on Thursday identified four methods it considers sufficiently reliable to determine whether users are aged 16 or over, ahead [...]City AM · 29 Oct, 12:44
• Shortlist of age checks for the UK's under-16 social media ban is out, 'some' adults will need verifyingSome adults may not need to prove it, but many willThe Register · 29 Oct, 12:33
• The four ways social media platforms can verify ages for millions of users'A few under-16s will inevitably find a way around the checks.'Metro · 29 Oct, 12:28
• Social media watchdog sets out age verification plans ahead of under-16s banSocial media age checks could help protect under-16s from inappropriate online content, but some children may find ways round them, Ofcom has said.Sky News · 29 Oct, 11:10
• Ofcom outlines ways social media can verify ages of usersOfcom says photo and digital ID, banking checks or facial age estimation can help prove someone is 16 or over.BBC News · 29 Oct, 05:57

In this story: Ofcom · Instagram · TikTok · Snapchat · Dame Melanie Dawes · United Kingdom · Australia

This summary was written by AI from the headlines and standfirsts above, and states as fact only what at least two outlets report. How we use AI · Report a problem · Corrections log