UK Regulator Ofcom Secures Anti-Grooming Pledges from Meta, Snap and Roblox
New commitments from major social networks include default privacy settings, AI-driven detection tools, and age assurance systems, while regulators warn of a potential ban for users under 16.
UK regulator Ofcom has published a report confirming that Meta, Snap and Roblox have agreed to implement stricter anti-grooming measures following concerns that social networks are not doing enough to protect children online. The commitments come after Ofcom emailed Facebook, Instagram, Roblox, Snap, TikTok and YouTube in March, urging them to tighten security under the Online Safety Act. This regulatory push follows a study conducted late last year which concluded that these platforms were failing to adequately safeguard young users.
Snap has pledged to introduce default settings that prevent adults from contacting unknown children on its app. The company also stated it will cease encouraging young users to expand their friend groups to strangers. Additionally, Snap intends to release a highly effective age assurance system to all UK users this summer, designed to identify users under 18 and apply the new anti-grooming measures to their accounts.
Meta has committed to hiding teenagers' following and follower lists on Instagram by default. The company also promised to deploy AI tools capable of detecting sexualised conversations between adults and teens in Instagram Direct Messages. Offending accounts identified by these systems will be reported to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. Furthermore, Meta is expanding its "13+ movie style" sensitive content control from Instagram to Facebook to limit teens' exposure to age-inappropriate posts.
Roblox has agreed to implement age assurance measures to ensure game suggestions are suitable for a user's age. The platform will also allow parents of users under 16 to switch off chat functionality entirely. This follows previous attempts to introduce an age verification system last year, which faced implementation issues with children bypassing the checks by drawing mustaches and wrinkles on their faces.
In contrast, Ofcom noted that TikTok and YouTube have not committed to significant changes, arguing that their current feeds are already safe for children. YouTube stated it works with child safety experts to ensure age-appropriate experiences. The regulator highlighted that nine in ten children aged 8-12 are using online services with a minimum age requirement of 13+, describing the responses from firms as concerning.
Ofcom plans to share its findings with the UK government, which announced in January that it is considering a minimum age ban for social media. This potential measure mirrors a ban that went into effect in Australia in December 2025. The regulator intends to provide feedback on whether to introduce a social media ban for children under 16 in the UK.
