150,000 teenagers in Britain risk losing access to social media — The Guardian

In the United Kingdom, around 150,000 teenagers aged 16–17 may lose access to social media because they do not have a passport or driving licence. The risk arises ahead of a planned ban on social media access for people under 16, due to be introduced next spring.

As The Guardian reports, UK regulator Ofcom has calculated that approximately 150,000 people aged 16–17 have neither a passport nor a driving licence. These are the documents that will likely be needed to access platforms with age restrictions.

Age verification

Ofcom has published an assessment of age-verification mechanisms that could form the basis of the new rules. The regulator identified four highly effective methods: matching an official document with a live selfie, having a bank confirm a person’s age, using an official digital ID such as a Young Scot card, or estimating age from a selfie.

At the same time, the regulator noted that an official document will likely be required as a fallback option for other methods as well. For example, facial age-estimation technology can be inaccurate by several years. Ofcom said that people without photo ID will most likely have to obtain one in order to use services with age restrictions.

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Platforms and the risk of bypassing restrictions

The UK government has not yet confirmed the final list of platforms that will be covered by the ban. It is expected to be similar to the Australian list, which includes Facebook, Instagram, Kick, Reddit, Snapchat, Threads, TikTok, Twitch, X and YouTube.

Ofcom chief executive Melanie Dawes acknowledged that some children would try to bypass the restrictions. According to her, motivated minors will look for ways to circumvent the rules, but platforms will have opportunities to reduce this risk. In Australia, where a similar ban was introduced in December last year, the eSafety regulator said in March that a significant number of children under 16 were violating the restrictions.

The UK government is expected to present rules confirming the ban by the end of the year. Ofcom will also hold consultations on the best ways to verify age, after which it will publish official recommendations.