GoKawiilOfcom lists four approved methods for verifying under-16s on social media
Ofcom has published guidance on how social media platforms could check whether users are over 16, ahead of the UK's social media ban taking effect in March. The regulator recommends photo ID matching, banking-based checks, facial age estimation and digital ID services as 'highly effective' options, alongside traditional ID documents. Implementation details are left to individual platforms, and the proposals still require government approval.
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The reliance on banks, facial recognition and digital ID providers could draw financial institutions and tech firms more deeply into enforcing government policy, raising questions about data privacy and practical cooperation. Australia's experience, where children found workarounds to a similar ban, suggests the UK may face enforcement challenges despite officials' claims of a tougher approach. Because platforms choose their own compliance methods, the effectiveness and consistency of age checks across services remains uncertain.
- Ofcom recommends photo ID matching, banking checks, facial age estimation and digital ID as effective age-verification tools.
- The UK's under-16 social media ban is set to begin in March, affecting platforms like Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat.
- Tech companies, not Ofcom, will decide how to implement the checks, pending government approval of the proposed methods.
Source: bbc.co.uk — Zoe Kleinman, 2026-10-29
Published there as: “Ofcom outlines ways social media can verify ages of users”
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