Shortlist of age checks for the UK’s under-16 social media ban is out, ‘some’ adults will need verifying
Ofcom has shortlisted four methods for checking whether social media users are at least 16, as the UK prepares a proposed ban on under-16s using the platforms. The decision matters because many adults may also have to verify their age, raising concerns about access, privacy and online anonymity.
The methods are photo-ID matching, checks through a bank, digital ID services and facial age estimation, which Ofcom says may need a second check because it is not reliable enough alone. Ofcom estimates 94 per cent of 16- and 17-year-olds have photo ID, while about 150,000 do not; it also says circumvention cannot be entirely prevented. Big Brother Watch criticised the plan as intrusive, while Ofcom points to Australia’s experience as a source of lessons for the UK.
In short
- Ofcom shortlisted four age-checking methods for a proposed under-16 social media ban.
- Many adults may also need to verify their age.
- About 150,000 UK 16- and 17-year-olds are estimated to lack photo ID.
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The case for
Supporters argue that a minimum age rule can better protect children from harms linked to social media, and that reliable checks are needed if the rule is to mean anything in practice. Using several verification methods could give adults without photo ID alternative routes, while lessons from other countries may help improve safeguards and acknowledge that circumvention cannot be eliminated.
The case against
Critics argue that requiring age checks could make adults prove who they are to use ordinary online services, weakening privacy and anonymity for everyone. They also worry that sensitive identity or facial data could be mishandled, and that young people without suitable documents or reliable alternatives may be unfairly excluded even if checks are intended to protect them.
Explained simply
Ofcom is the UK regulator for communications, including online services. The government is considering a rule that would stop under-16s using social media platforms, which would require services to check users’ ages.
Age checks can involve documents, financial records or estimates based on a person’s face, and each method raises questions about who can use it and what information is collected. The debate also involves privacy groups such as Big Brother Watch, which has criticised the checks, and how lessons from other countries, including Australia, might apply in the UK.