Ofcom Admits UK Children Are Still Exposed to Social Media Harm Under New Rules
Ofcom, the UK's online safety regulator, has admitted that its landmark measures to protect children on social media have not reduced the proportion of children who suffer harm, according to The Guardian.
The measures stem from the Online Safety Act 2023, the UK law that requires online services to manage the risks their platforms pose to users. From summer 2025, platforms including TikTok and Instagram were required to protect children from harmful content, including pornography, serious violence, material about suicide, racism, misogyny and bullying. Children's safety duties under the law came into force in July 2025.
Ofcom's review found that, at a total level, there was no significant change in the proportion of children encountering harmful content over the first nine months after those duties took effect. The regulator called the lack of change concerning, and said there was no evidence that the severity of harm had changed since the children's regulations took effect.
The research tracked the exposure of UK children aged 8 to 17 to harmful content on user-to-user services, which are sites where people share content with each other. It also looked at the impact of that content, children's use of safety tools, and their wellbeing after exposure. Unsafe content often left children frightened, confused and upset.
Ofcom said personalised recommendation feeds powered by for-you algorithms were repeatedly at the root of harmful material that continued to reach children. These feeds select content based on what a user has previously viewed or engaged with.
Earlier this year, Ofcom research reported by Reuters found that 73% of 11- to 17-year-olds had been exposed to harmful content over four weeks, mainly through personalised feeds. At the time, Ofcom said TikTok and YouTube content feeds were "not safe enough" for children, according to the BBC.
Ofcom chief executive Dame Melanie Dawes told MPs: "We do not see a safety culture from these large social media companies." The regulator has shared its assessment of children's harm with Lisa Nandy, the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.
The Online Safety Act requires Ofcom to review and report on content harmful to children online. The current review focused on evidence generated since July 2025. Ofcom said its compliance priorities for the year ahead are improving protections for children and tackling illegal hate and terror content.
