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Among the 40 practical measures in the draft Children\u2019s Safety Codes of Practice, some will be particularly controversial.<\/p>\n
One contentious area is how tech firms check whether their users are children, and if they are children, that they are old enough to use the service.<\/p>\n
The regulator calls this “age assurance”. It doesn\u2019t specify exactly how this must be done \u2013 but it is clear that simply ticking a box or entering a date of birth won\u2019t do.<\/p>\n
It has previously suggested tech which scans a user\u2019s face and uses artificial intelligence to estimate age could be acceptable, if used in conjunction with a demand for further proof of age.<\/p>\n
But age-checks could mean tens of millions of UK social media users, mostly adults, providing information to the tech firms – or third-party age-check businesses.<\/p>\n
Privacy campaigners have already pushed back on this point. Jim Killock, of digital rights campaigners the Open Rights Group, wrote:<\/p>\n
\u201cAdults will be faced with a choice: either limit their freedom of expression by not accessing content, or expose themselves to increased security risks that will arise from data breaches and phishing sites”.<\/p>\n
But the many third-party age-check companies argue that they can implement these systems while preserving privacy.<\/p>\n
New systems also attempt to guard against obvious work arounds, such as using a photo of an older person, by checking for \u201cliveness\u201d.<\/p>\n
But some argue age-checks will be counter-productive.<\/p>\n
“The worst thing is saying to a youngster ‘you can’t look at this’,\u201d Surrey University professor Alan Woodward told the BBC. <\/p>\n
\u201cThey’ll find ways around it, whether it’s using VPNs (virtual private networks) to go via routes where it doesn’t require that or where they can sign on with somebody else’s details.”<\/p>\n
While he supports stopping children viewing some content, he worries some may respond by seeking out darker corners of the internet where age-checks are not enforced.<\/p>\n
And Ofcom\u2019s own data suggests a significant minority of parents can be willing collaborators in allowing underage children to use social media sites under the minimum age. <\/p>\n
For example, a parent or an older sibling opening an account that a child then uses will be harder to guard against.<\/p>\n
Meta boss Mark Zuckerberg has previously argued he favours making app stores, like those operated by Apple and Google, check ages instead – but these important gatekeepers aren\u2019t covered by the consultation. <\/p>\n
Ofcom told me that it will consult on the role of app stores in the protection of children, and the government would have the power to introduce new duties for app stores if the report suggested that it was necessary.<\/p>\n
But that won\u2019t happen until 2026.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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<\/picture><\/span>Getty images<\/span><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n