TikTok will impose stricter age restrictions across Europe

As the ByteDance-owned platform is under regulatory pressure to better identify and erase accounts belonging to children under 13, TikTok told Reuters on Friday that it will start using new age identification technologies in Europe in the upcoming weeks.

The system is an extension of a year-long pilot study in Europe and has not been previously published. To determine whether an account might be underage, it examines behavioral cues, posted videos, and profile data. According to TikTok, accounts found by this technology will not be automatically blocked; instead, they will be examined by qualified moderators.

The launch coincides with an investigation by European authorities into how platforms verify users’ ages in accordance with stringent data privacy regulations, amid worries that existing methods are either inefficient or unduly intrusive.

While the European Parliament is advocating for age restrictions on social media platforms, Australia implemented the world’s first social media ban for minors under 16 last year. Denmark wants to outlaw social media for kids younger than 15.

The UK pilot project led to the removal of thousands of additional accounts belonging to children under the age of 13.

Despite best efforts, there is no globally agreed way to confirm a person’s age while preserving their privacy, TikTok said. To appeal bans, the company will use facial age estimation from verification provider Yoti, along with credit card verification and official ID.

Yoti is also used by Meta to confirm Facebook users’ ages.

According to TikTok, the new technology was created especially for Europe in order to meet local regulations. During the system’s creation, the corporation worked with its primary EU privacy authority, the Irish Data Protection Commission.

According to TikTok, users across Europe will be informed when the technology is released.