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Ofcom sets age checks for 2027 under-16 social ban

By Drooid · Oct 29, 2026 · How we work

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Ofcom set age-verification methods for a March 2027 ban on under-16s on social media.
The ban will block under-16s from platforms, including Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat and Facebook.
Ofcom proposed verification options: photo ID, banking checks, facial age estimation, digital ID.
Verification could match passport or licence to a live image or use bank records.
Andy Burrows, chief of the Molly Rose Foundation, warned Ofcom’s poor enforcement could undermine the ban.

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Ofcom set age-verification methods for a March 2027 ban on under-16s on social media.
The ban will block under-16s from platforms, including Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat and Facebook.
Ofcom proposed verification options: photo ID, banking checks, facial age estimation, digital ID.
Verification could match passport or licence to a live image or use bank records.
Andy Burrows, chief of the Molly Rose Foundation, warned Ofcom’s poor enforcement could undermine the ban.