Ofcom child safety pressure is forcing several major platforms to promise stronger protections for children in the UK. The regulator says Snap, Meta, and Roblox have agreed to new anti-grooming measures after Ofcom publicly demanded action from large online services.
The commitments focus on stranger contact, direct messages, teen accounts, and risk checks before companies ship new features to children. Ofcom says Facebook, Instagram, Roblox, Snap, TikTok, and YouTube also responded to its wider March demand for stronger child protections.
What The Platforms Promised
Snap agreed to adopt Ofcom’s recommended grooming prevention measures under the Illegal Harms Codes. That means adult strangers should not contact children by default, and children should not receive prompts that push them to expand friend groups with people they do not know.
Roblox agreed to go beyond earlier safety work by giving parents the ability to switch off direct chat entirely for users under 16. Meta plans a new Instagram setting that hides teens’ connection lists by default. It also plans AI tools that detect likely sexualized conversations between adults and teens in Instagram direct messages.
Where Ofcom Still Sounds Unhappy
The regulator did not hand the industry a victory lap. Ofcom says TikTok and YouTube failed to commit to major changes that would reduce harmful content in children’s recommender feeds. It also says platforms with a minimum age of 13 have not convinced the regulator that they can keep underage children off their services.
That is the bigger issue for parents. Blocking adult strangers helps, but feeds can still push harmful content at scale. Ofcom says nearly three-quarters of UK children ages 11 to 17 encountered harmful content during a four-week period, and many found it while scrolling.
Why This Matters Beyond The UK
The UK Online Safety Act gives Ofcom more room to pressure platforms, request information, and explore inspection powers. That matters because Meta, Snap, Roblox, TikTok, and YouTube rarely build safety systems for one market in isolation. Changes that start in the UK can influence product decisions elsewhere, especially when regulators compare notes.
Tech companies are already juggling safety, AI, and cost pressure. Our recent coverage of Meta’s efficiency push showed how quickly platform priorities can shift when leadership wants leaner operations. However, child safety rules do not pause for restructuring.
For now, Ofcom’s message is simple: promises are not enough. The regulator wants proof that the measures work, stronger feed controls, and clearer legal backing to enforce minimum-age rules. Platforms now have to show that these commitments protect children in practice, not just in policy language.
