UK social media ban faces technical, enforcement challenges, Ofcom says
( June 17, 2026, 10:27 GMT | Official Statement) -- MLex Summary: Enforcing a social media ban for under-16s will require additional resources and presents significant technical challenges, online safety regulator Ofcom has told the UK government. In a letter, the watchdog said age assurance at 16 appeared feasible, but fewer methods were available than for checking if a user was over 18. Ofcom said it stood ready to implement the ban, but questioned the effectiveness of age-inference tools used by some services in Australia. It suggested a "layered" approach to age checks may ultimately be needed to reduce circumvention. Letter attached....
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