CONNECT WITH US
Social Media

Social Media

UK social media ban may lock out more than 100,000 teenagers without ID

The Guardian – Social Media logo

Published on

Add as a preferred source on Google
UK social media ban may lock out more than 100,000 teenagers without ID

Watchdog says under-16 ban may affect older teenagers without passport or licence, and that ‘motivated children’ will skirt restrictions

More than 100,000 British teenagers risk being locked out of social media if they do not have a passport or driving licence when an under-16 ban is introduced next year.

Ofcom, the UK’s online watchdog, said about 150,000 16- to 17-year-olds do not own a passport or driving licence, which are likely to be needed to access age-restricted platforms.

The Australia-style ban on under-16s accessing social media services, including Instagram, TikTok and YouTube, is due to come into force next spring.

The head of Ofcom, Melanie Dawes, said “motivated children” would seek to bypass the restrictions, as has happened in Australia.

On Thursday, Ofcom published an assessment of age verification measures that could underpin the ban, outlining four “highly effective” methods: checking a person’s official ID against a live selfie, a bank verifying an account holder’s age, an official digital ID service like the Young Scot card, or estimating someone’s age via a selfie.

However, the watchdog said a form of official ID would probably be needed as a “backstop” for other methods, such as facial age estimation, which could be inaccurate by several years. Ofcom said a cohort of 16- to 17-year-olds could miss out as a result.

“This means that people without a form of photo ID will likely need to take steps to obtain one to access age-restricted services,” the regulator said.

More than nine out of 10 Britons over 16 have passports or driving licences.


Source link
Related Topics:Social Media

Disclaimer

We strive to uphold the highest ethical standards in all of our reporting and coverage. We TheMorningPulse.fyi want to be transparent with our readers about any potential conflicts of interest that may arise in our work. It's possible that some of the investors we feature may have connections to other businesses, including competitors or companies we write about. However, we want to assure our readers that this will not have any impact on the integrity or impartiality of our reporting. We are committed to delivering accurate, unbiased news and information to our audience, and we will continue to uphold our ethics and principles in all of our work. Thank you for your trust and support.