Ofcom says photo or digital ID, banking checks and facial age estimation can help prove users are 16 or older ahead of the U.K. social media ban. The guidance follows the government’s vow to take a tougher approach than Australia to enforcement; photo ID checks are likely to be required.
WHO:Ofcom
WHAT:Ofcom outlined methods for checking whether social media users are at least 16, including photo or digital ID, banking checks and facial age estimation.
WHEN:Reported Oct 29, 2026 at 4:14 AM ET
WHERE:United Kingdom
WHY:The checks are intended to verify that users are at least 16 ahead of the social media ban.
Reporting from 2 identified publishers across this event arc.
