Ofcom outlines ways social media can verify ages of users

Ofcom has set out its recommendations for the most effective ways to identify which of the UK's millions of social media users are aged over 16. Under the UK's social media ban - which is due to come into force in March next year - those under that age will be prevented from accessing ten of the biggest platforms, including Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat. Many UK adults are also likely to have to confirm that they are not under-age , which are subject to government approval. A similar ban was introduced in Australia last year but many children there have found ways to get round it. The UK says it intends to take a tougher approach. Age verification below 18 is challenging because 16 and 17 year olds don't have credit cards or full driving licences, and may not have passports either. They can also look significantly older or younger than they are. However, ultimately it will be up to the tech companies to figure out how to implement the checks: the onus is on social network providers to come up with their own solutions and comply. This would place responsibility with Apple and Google, who between them operate most of the world's smartphones. Apple has already introduced age verification in the UK. However Ofcom says that would not absolve the social network providers from doing their own checks as well. The regulator said it didn't have a firm number for how many adults would need to prove they were not under age, but conceded that it would be a "large number of accounts" that social media companies would need to "deal with." It has also acknowledged that "the risk of circumvention cannot be entirely eliminated", and some children would succeed in bypassing the age checks.