Home » UK Business News » TikTok faces UK probe over parental controls
https://www.whatjobs.com/news/united-kingdom/uk-business-news/tiktok-faces-uk-probe-over-parental-controls
The UK communications regulator is investigating whether TikTok provided “inaccurate” information about its parental controls.
The platform’s parental control system, "Family Pairing," is supposed to protect children from harmful content.
TikTok blamed the discrepancy on a technical issue and promptly notified Ofcom about the glitch.
Read More: Unilever Faces UK Probe Over ‘Greenwashing’
It said the probe centres on data accuracy and not its parental controls.
Ofcom's inquiry, part of a broader assessment of child protection measures, involved requests for information from TikTok, Snap, and Twitch.
While all three platforms demonstrated measures to prevent children from encountering harmful content, there were instances where harm could still occur.
TikTok's "Family Pairing" feature allows parents to manage screen time, direct messages, content filtering, and privacy settings.
Read More: UK Regulator To Probe Baby Formula Market Over 25 Percent Price Hike
However, Ofcom discovered potential inaccuracies in the information provided.
Research by Ofcom revealed that over a fifth of children aged eight to 17 possess an adult online profile.
However, TikTok, Twitch, and Snap require users to be 13 and above.
Users could access the platforms by entering a false age.
The report says the platforms should "explore improving how they identify children and stop them encountering harm."
Need Career Advice? Get employment skills advice at all levels of your career
The report also addressed concerns with Twitch, a livestreaming platform popular among gamers.
Unlike TikTok and Snap, Twitch's content is open access, allowing viewers of any age to watch videos without an account, even if they are rated mature.
Ofcom noted that parental controls on Twitch necessitate real-time supervision.
The platform said parents could request to remove a child's account, though this process has not been utilised over the past year.
Ofcom plans to release guidance on the act's child safety provisions in spring 2024.
Follow us on YouTube, X, LinkedIn, and Facebook.
