TikTok Deploys AI Age-Detection Across Europe and United Kingdom

TikTok is deploying AI-powered age-detection technology across the European Economic Area, the United Kingdom, and Switzerland to identify and remove users under the age of 13. Developed in coordination with Ireland's Data Protection Commission, the system uses machine learning to analyze profile information, posted videos, and behavioral signals. Accounts flagged by the AI are reviewed by specialist human moderators rather than facing automatic bans.

The rollout follows a year-long pilot program in the United Kingdom that resulted in the removal of thousands of underage accounts. To handle appeals against bans, the platform utilizes government identification, credit card checks, and facial-age estimation provided by the third-party firm Yoti.

This initiative comes as the company faces intensifying regulatory pressure from the European Parliament and EU authorities to comply with data-protection rules and the Digital Services Act. The move coincides with a broader global trend toward stricter minor protections, including social media bans for children under 16 in Australia. In the United Kingdom, Prime Minister Keir Starmer indicated he is considering similar restrictions.

Despite the rollout, the initiative has sparked privacy concerns regarding the collection of sensitive data and the potential for algorithmic bias. Simultaneously, TikTok's parent company, ByteDance, is engaged in a legal battle in Delaware involving a lawsuit from parents of five British children who died after allegedly performing dangerous challenges promoted by the platform.