TikTok will begin rolling out new age-detection technology across Europe in the coming weeks, the company told Reuters on Friday, as regulators intensify scrutiny over how social media platforms protect children online.
The previously undisclosed system follows a year-long pilot programme in the United Kingdom. It analyses a range of signals, including profile information, posted videos and user behaviour, to assess whether an account may belong to a child under 13. Accounts flagged by the technology will not be automatically removed but instead reviewed by trained moderators, TikTok said.
The move comes as European authorities question whether current age-verification methods are either ineffective or too intrusive under strict data-protection rules. Governments are increasingly pressing platforms to take responsibility for keeping young children off social media. Australia last year imposed the world’s first ban on social media for users under 16, while the European Parliament is debating age limits across the bloc. Denmark has also called for a ban on social media use by children under 15.
TikTok said the UK pilot resulted in the removal of thousands of additional accounts belonging to children under 13, suggesting the system could significantly improve enforcement once deployed more widely.
REGULATORY AND LEGAL PRESSURE
The European rollout coincides with mounting legal challenges. On Friday, a U.S. state judge in Delaware is set to hear TikTok’s request to dismiss a lawsuit filed by parents of five British children who died while allegedly attempting prank or challenge videos seen on the platform. The lawsuit claims TikTok’s algorithms promoted dangerous content to minors, including the so-called “blackout challenge.”
“ByteDance harmed these children after its leadership knew that its programming decisions were resulting in the accidental deaths of children,” the lawsuit said, adding that some of the victims were under 13. TikTok said it strictly prohibits content that encourages dangerous behaviour and expressed sympathy for the families involved.
TikTok has previously succeeded in dismissing similar claims, including a 2022 lawsuit linked to the death of a 10-year-old girl.
BUILT FOR EUROPE
The company said there is still no globally accepted method for verifying age that fully preserves user privacy. For users appealing account removals, TikTok will rely on facial age-estimation technology from Yoti, as well as credit-card checks and government-issued identification where necessary. Meta Platforms also uses Yoti for age verification on Facebook.
TikTok said the new detection system was designed specifically to meet European regulatory standards and developed in consultation with Ireland’s Data Protection Commission, its lead privacy regulator in the EU. Users across Europe will be notified as the technology is introduced.
The rollout underscores how child safety has become one of the most contentious battlegrounds in the regulation of social media, as platforms race to balance privacy, enforcement and political pressure across different regions.
