Ofcom, the communication services regulator in the UK, has sent a letter to Facebook, Instagram (META), Roblox (RBLX), Snapchat (SNAP), TikTok (TIKTOK), and YouTube (GOOG) (GOOGL) asking them to meet four key demands that will help keep underage children off their platforms.
The letter alleges the companies, being household names for social media services, have failed to consider children’s safety at the crux of their business operations.
Ofcom said the companies must introduce effective minimum-age policies, implement measures that will prevent strangers from contacting children, manage algorithms that will not suggest harmful content, and cease testing of AI and other products on kids.
The companies are expected to disclose their plans publicly and have until the end of April to report back on the steps they will take to meet the watchdog’s demands.
“There is a gap between what tech companies promise in private and what they’re doing publicly to keep children safe on their platforms,” said Ofcom CEO Dame Melanie Dawes. “That must now change quickly, or Ofcom will act.”
Ofcom said it will report on how the companies have responded and will announce any next steps for regulatory action in May.