A recent Ofcom report has deemed TikTok and YouTube's content feeds "not safe enough" for children, calling attention to their lack of commitment to eliminating harmful content. While Snap, Meta, and Roblox have agreed to enhance safety measures to combat online grooming, issues remain with age verification methods, which many children effortlessly bypass.
Advocacy groups are pushing the FTC to investigate Roblox for practices seen as exploitative, such as pressuring in-game purchases and exposing children to strangers. The article argues that age gates are insufficient; instead, a focus on better system design, including effective moderation and algorithm safety, is crucial for protecting children online.