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Ofcom: UK under-16 social media ban may need photo ID many teens lack
Ofcom says four age-check methods can be highly effective at 16, but evidence suggests about 150,000 16- and 17-year-olds in the UK have neither a passport nor a driving licence.
Ofcom on Thursday published a rapid assessment of how social media firms could determine whether a user is 16 or over, ahead of UK government rules for a planned under-16 social media ban1.
The regulator identified four methods it said are currently capable of being highly effective at 16 or over: photo ID matching, digital ID services, banking-based checks, and facial age estimation1.
Ofcom said an estimated 94% of people aged 16 and over in the UK have a passport or driving licence, and that evidence suggests around 150,000 16- and 17-year-olds have neither1. It attributed that figure to evidence from CitizenCard based on a non-representative school survey1.
Because photo ID is required in recommended methods or likely as a second check, Ofcom said 16- and 17-year-olds without photo ID would likely need to obtain one; it noted they can apply for a passport, a provisional driving licence, or a free PASS-certified photo ID card1.
Ofcom chief executive Dame Melanie Dawes said: "We should expect that motivated children will seek to bypass the restrictions" and that platforms can mitigate that risk1. The government has said it intends to publish a first set of regulations before the end of 2026, after which Ofcom will consult on guidance1.
The Guardian reported that ministers have not named the covered services and that the list is expected to match Australia's, including Facebook, Instagram, Kick, Reddit, Snapchat, Threads, TikTok, Twitch, X and YouTube. Ofcom's statement did not name those platforms1.