TikTok has announced plans to deploy significantly upgraded age-verification technology across European Union countries in the coming weeks, marking one of the platform’s most consequential moves yet to strengthen protections for younger users amid rising global scrutiny of social media’s impact on children. The ByteDance-owned short-video giant said the system—developed after a year-long pilot in Europe—is designed to better identify and manage accounts that might belong to users under the platform’s minimum age threshold of 13, responding directly to mounting pressure from regulators and lawmakers who have criticised existing age-gate measures as inadequate.
TikTok’s new age-detection technology uses artificial intelligence to analyse a combination of profile details, posted content and behavioural patterns to estimate whether an account holder might be a child. During the pilot phase in the UK and other EU markets, the system identified thousands of potential under-13 accounts that were subsequently reviewed and removed by human moderators—an important distinction from automatic deletion that TikTok insists will prevent wrongful bans. TikTok says flagged accounts will undergo specialist human review before any action is taken, and users will be given the opportunity to appeal decisions through a variety of verification methods, including facial-age estimation tools provided by third parties, credit-card checks or government-issued IDs.
The move comes against the backdrop of intensifying regulatory focus on how online platforms enforce age restrictions and protect children’s data privacy under strict EU rules such as the Digital Services Act. European authorities have repeatedly stressed that simple self-reported age gates, where users merely enter their date of birth, are easy for determined youngsters to circumvent and fail to meet the spirit of robust child safety protections. Critics have argued that stronger verification technology is long overdue, especially given evidence that underage users can access and engage with potentially harmful content with little hindrance.
TikTok has sought to reassure regulators and users alike that the new system complies with EU data-protection laws, emphasising that age prediction data will only be used for the purpose of determining whether an account should be referred to moderators and will not be repurposed for other functions. The company also highlighted that it has worked closely with Ireland’s Data Protection Commission—its lead privacy regulator in the EU—throughout development to ensure adherence to legal standards.
In addition to beefing up age checks, TikTok has been gradually expanding other safety features designed to limit potentially harmful interactions for younger audiences. These include tighter restrictions on direct messaging for users under 16 and automatic screen-time or notification limits for under-18s, part of broader efforts to create a safer, age-appropriate environment on the platform.
The announcement comes at a time of heightened debate about children’s access to social media. Last year, Australia implemented a ban preventing children under 16 from using major social platforms, a move that has fuelled similar discussions in other regions, including potential legislation in the United Kingdom. EU lawmakers too have pushed for stricter age limits and more effective verification as part of a comprehensive strategy to safeguard children online.
While TikTok’s enhanced verification initiative is a clear response to regulatory and societal pressure, it also underscores the technological and ethical complexities of balancing child safety with user privacy. As platforms around the world grapple with these issues, TikTok’s rollout in Europe could help set benchmarks for how the tech industry approaches age enforcement in a way that aligns with evolving legal norms and public expectations.
