Ofcom TikTok probe threatens fines of 10% of global revenue
Britain's media regulator has launched a formal investigation into TikTok's child safety systems, threatening the platform with fines reaching up to 10% of its parent company's worldwide revenue and signalling a tougher enforcement era for tech platforms operating in Europe.
Ofcom opened a formal investigation on Thursday into whether TikTok is failing to protect children from harmful content under the Online Safety Act. The probe focuses specifically on whether ByteDance’s platform has adequate systems to accurately identify child users and to prevent them from encountering harmful material. Opening an investigation is not a finding of fault, but it grants the regulator formal powers to gather evidence before reaching a conclusion.
The financial exposure for ByteDance is severe. Under the legislation, Ofcom can impose fines of up to £18 million or 10% of qualifying worldwide revenue, whichever is greater. For a company of ByteDance’s scale, the percentage-based penalty is the binding constraint, placing the potential financial hit well into the billions of pounds.
The investigation escalates a public dispute that began in May, when Ofcom accused TikTok and YouTube of refusing to commit to significant changes to make personalised feeds safer for children. “We remain deeply concerned that, despite overwhelming evidence of harm, companies are still failing to take the necessary action to keep underage children off their platforms and make their feeds safer,” said Ofcom chief executive Melanie Dawes at the time.
Ofcom’s own data shows roughly seven in 10 children aged 11 to 17 have encountered harmful content online, a figure essentially unchanged since safety duties took effect in July 2025. While competitors like Snapchat, Roblox and Meta agreed to new default restrictions or AI detection tools following regulator pressure, TikTok defended its existing measures.
TikTok has strongly disputed the regulator's characterisation. “It’s very disappointing that Ofcom has failed to acknowledge both our longstanding and newer safety features, from no direct messaging for under-16s, pre-set private teen accounts, to our recently enhanced age assurance technologies,” a spokesperson said in May.
A looming ban
The investigation's ultimate impact may be limited by a shifting legal landscape. The UK government legislated in June for a blanket ban on social media for under-16s, expected to take effect in spring 2027. If that timetable holds, much of what Ofcom is currently investigating regarding child safety feeds could become moot before the probe concludes.
TikTok is not alone in facing this scrutiny. Ofcom has taken similar formal steps against Telegram, X, and Grok, opening investigations into close to 100 services since the Online Safety Act came into force. The regulator previously fined TikTok £1.875m in July 2024 over inaccurate data reporting regarding its parental controls.
