Ofcom, Britain's communications and media regulator, has launched a formal investigation into TikTok to determine whether the platform has failed to protect children from harmful content. The probe, announced Thursday, focuses on the platform's UK unit.
The regulator is particularly concerned with TikTok's age verification model. Ofcom has expressed that the platform's approach to checking user ages is ineffective, potentially leaving some children at risk of seeing posts about suicide and self-harm.
This investigation follows a review by the regulator in May that criticized TikTok for not being safe enough for children. The dispute between the regulator and the platform has been running in public since May.
The probe examines TikTok's conduct under the Online Safety Act, almost a year after measures to protect children from the worst online content came into effect.