LONDON: Communications regulator Ofcom has issued a sharp rebuke to TikTok and YouTube, declaring that a substantial body of evidence shows their highly personalised video recommendation feeds 'are still not safe enough' for children. The media wat
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LONDON: Communications regulator Ofcom has issued a sharp rebuke to TikTok and YouTube, declaring that a substantial body of evidence shows their highly personalised video recommendation feeds ‘are still not safe enough’ for children.
The media watchdog had explicitly challenged major internet services to outline concrete algorithmic changes to block toxic content, enforce minimum age limits, and stop online grooming.
While rival platforms like Snap, Meta, and Roblox agreed to implement tougher safety updates, Ofcom revealed that TikTok and YouTube proposed no significant changes. Instead, both companies firmly defended their current operations, claiming their main feeds are already safe for younger users.
Ofcom strongly rejected those claims, citing data showing that automated feeds remain the primary gateway through which children encounter serious online risk. According to its latest findings, 73% of children aged 11 to 17 reported exposure to harmful content over a four-week period, with over a third encountering it while simply scrolling their algorithmic feeds.
