TikTok has ramped up its efforts to verify users' ages across Europe, introducing new measures to detect and prevent minors from using its platform.
In the coming weeks, TikTok's upgraded age-detection technology will be rolled out across the European Economic Area, as well as in the UK and Switzerland. The system uses a combination of profile information and user activity to assess a user's likely age. If the tech flags an account that may belong to a user under 13, a specialist moderator will review whether it should be banned.
Users in Europe will receive notifications about these measures and the option to learn more. Anyone can also report an account they suspect is used by someone under 13. TikTok aims to remove around 6 million underage accounts from its platform every month.
While there's no single foolproof method for confirming a person's age, TikTok believes a multi-layered approach – combining multiple techniques – is essential for protecting teenagers and upholding safety-by-design principles.
This move comes amid growing calls to limit kids' access to social media. A social media ban in Australia has already gone into effect, with millions of accounts closed or restricted as a result. Reddit has filed a lawsuit against the ban, but other platforms are taking steps to keep minors off their sites.
In the UK, there's increasing pressure on policymakers to introduce similar restrictions. Prime Minister Keir Starmer has hinted that "all options" are being considered, with the House of Lords set to vote on proposals for an under-16 social media ban next week. If successful, this could lead to a binding vote in parliament, potentially paving the way for a similar ban across the UK.
In the coming weeks, TikTok's upgraded age-detection technology will be rolled out across the European Economic Area, as well as in the UK and Switzerland. The system uses a combination of profile information and user activity to assess a user's likely age. If the tech flags an account that may belong to a user under 13, a specialist moderator will review whether it should be banned.
Users in Europe will receive notifications about these measures and the option to learn more. Anyone can also report an account they suspect is used by someone under 13. TikTok aims to remove around 6 million underage accounts from its platform every month.
While there's no single foolproof method for confirming a person's age, TikTok believes a multi-layered approach – combining multiple techniques – is essential for protecting teenagers and upholding safety-by-design principles.
This move comes amid growing calls to limit kids' access to social media. A social media ban in Australia has already gone into effect, with millions of accounts closed or restricted as a result. Reddit has filed a lawsuit against the ban, but other platforms are taking steps to keep minors off their sites.
In the UK, there's increasing pressure on policymakers to introduce similar restrictions. Prime Minister Keir Starmer has hinted that "all options" are being considered, with the House of Lords set to vote on proposals for an under-16 social media ban next week. If successful, this could lead to a binding vote in parliament, potentially paving the way for a similar ban across the UK.
TikTok's getting serious about minors on their platform 
interesting how they're using tech to detect underage users and mods to review flagged accounts 
. these new measures seem pretty solid - using multiple techniques to detect underage users is a good idea. but at the same time, i'm curious how effective this system will actually be in practice...i mean, how hard is it for a 12-year-old to come up with convincing profile info and user activity? 
also, what's really going on behind the scenes - are these mods just going to flag anyone they think might be underage or is there something more nuanced at play? 
i mean, who needs external tech when you got your own skills right? but seriously, 6 million underage accounts gotta be removed every month? that's like, a lot 
tiktok's trying to be proactive and stuff, but what about the parents who don't even know their kids are on there? or the ones who just need help setting up parental controls 
we need more online safety measures like this, especially for our youngins 
. I mean, 6 million accounts every month is crazy! What's even crazier is that there's no single way to prove someone's age, but like, combine multiple methods and voilà! Shouldn't this be a bigger deal than just "combining multiple techniques" though? It's still kinda weird that they're relying on specialist moderators to review these accounts... how much training do they even need for that job? 
. I mean, we've got kids as young as 10 making videos that are way too mature for their age group 
.
. Maybe they should work together instead of fighting each other? 
! It's about time we take social media safety seriously 
. I mean, kids need protection from online predators and whatnot, right? 
. I'm glad other platforms like Reddit are taking similar steps to keep minors off their sites 
. It's all about creating a safer online community for everyone! 
