UK social media ban piles pressure on Ofcom as risk of US pushback looms large
By Patricia Figueiredo ( June 17, 2026, 17:02 GMT | Comment) -- The UK's planned social media ban for under-16s puts online safety regulator Ofcom at the center of both a complex enforcement effort and growing trans-Atlantic tensions. It is focused on technical challenges around age assurance, and said implementing the ban would require additional resources. But tensions with the US government, which opposed a ban, will only add to pushback that the regulator already faces when enforcing US-based tech companies.The challenge facing UK online safety watchdog Ofcom in enforcing the social media ban for under-16s announced this week is becoming clear — and it is imposing. ...
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