Ofcom sets out social media age-checking methods ahead of ban

The UK's communications regulator, Ofcom, has outlined potential methods for age-checking on social media platforms ahead of an impending ban on under-16s accessing certain online content. The proposed methods include using photo and digital ID, banking checks, or facial age estimation to verify users' ages. This move is part of the regulator's efforts to enforce age restrictions on social media platforms, which have been criticized for not doing enough to protect children and teenagers from online harm.

The age-checking methods are set to be implemented as part of the UK's Online Safety Act, which aims to make the internet a safer place for users, particularly children. Social media platforms will be required to implement robust age verification processes to ensure that users are at least 16 years old to access certain types of content. The use of photo and digital ID, banking checks, or facial age estimation could provide a more robust and reliable way to verify users' ages, compared to self-declaration or other methods that can be easily circumvented.

As the Online Safety Act comes into effect, it's likely that social media platforms will face significant challenges in implementing these age-checking methods. To watch next: how social media platforms will adapt to these new regulations, and what impact this will have on their users and business models. Additionally, there may be concerns about data protection and user privacy, which will need to be addressed by the regulator and social media platforms.

Originally reported by bbc.co.uk. NewsDebate adds analysis for general news readers.