What happened
Ofcom, the UK's communications regulator, has identified four age-verification methods that will be used to enforce the country's social media ban for under-16s. The regulator said it assessed these methods as able to reliably determine whether a user is 16 or older.
When does the ban start?
The ban is due to take effect next year. According to Ofcom, the checks will not only affect younger users: many adults will also have to pass age verification to keep using social media platforms.
Why it matters
Age verification is the critical step that determines how the under-16 ban will work in practice. The reliability of these methods will shape both the effectiveness of the ban and the debate over user privacy and ease of access. Ofcom's assessment also sets the framework for which technologies platforms will adopt to comply.
