Ofcom has outlined a set of methods that regulators and platforms could use to verify whether social media users are at least 16 years old. The regulator said that photographic or digital identity documents, checks with financial or telecoms providers, and facial age‑estimation technology are among the options that can help prove a user meets the age threshold.
Methods identified
The approaches described include using photo and digital ID — such as passports or government‑issued identity documents — and undertaking verification checks through banks or mobile network operators. Ofcom also identified facial age‑estimation tools, which use software to estimate a person’s age from their appearance, as a potential mechanism for age checks.
Purpose and scope
Ofcom framed the measures as ways to support enforcement of age limits on social media platforms, aimed at ensuring users meet the 16‑plus requirement. The regulator presented the methods as possible routes for proving age rather than mandating a single technique, leaving scope for different approaches depending on technical and operational factors.
Implementation and next steps
The guidance is part of preparatory work ahead of restrictions on under‑16s' access to social media. Platforms, technology providers and policymakers will need to consider how to adopt and integrate verification methods in practice, including decisions about which combination of checks will be used and how they will be implemented at scale.