Social media firms could be made to use facial recognition technology to check children's ages
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Social media firms could be ordered to use facial recognition technology to check children's ages. Millions of children could have their online profiles banned by the tech giants under plans to be set out by online regulator Ofcom next spring. Social media executives have been warned they could face huge fines and even prison sentences if they fail to follow guidance designed to ensure their users are not underage.
![[Social media executives have been warned they could face huge fines and even prison sentences if they fail to follow guidance designed to ensure their users are not underage]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/12/23/22/93441399-14222801-Social_media_executives_have_been_warned_they_could_face_huge_fi-a-49_1734991945370.jpg)
John Higham, Ofcom's head of online safety policy, said platforms would be expected to remove children's accounts from their sites by using 'highly accurate and effective' AI age checks. The regulator estimates that up to 60 per cent of eight to 11-year-olds have social media profiles, despite sites such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat having minimum age limits of 13.
Mr Higham said more than a fifth of under-age children on social media sites claim to be adults to set up profiles. He told the Telegraph: 'It doesn't take a genius to work out that children are going to lie about their age. So we think there's a big issue there.'.
Earlier this month Ofcom published a new set of rules that will compel social media companies to take action against illegal and harmful content in order to comply with the Online Safety Act. Social media firms could be ordered to use facial recognition technology (Stock Image).
