Facial Recognition Age Checks for Children on Social Media

SOURCE www.telegraph.co.uk
Social media firms will use facial recognition age checks to keep under-age children off their platforms under plans by Ofcom. Tech firms could face fines under the Online Safety Act if they fail to protect children from harmful content. Ofcom research found many under-age children lie about their age to access social media. Companies are urged to use effective age verification methods like facial age estimation to protect children.

Key Points

  • Ofcom plans to require social media platforms to use highly accurate age checks to prevent under-age children from accessing harmful content
  • Tech firms could face significant fines under the Online Safety Act if they fail to protect children online
  • Research shows a significant number of under-age children lie about their age on social media platforms to access content

Pros

  • Protecting children from harmful content on social media
  • Encouraging tech companies to implement more stringent age verification measures
  • Potential to reduce the number of under-age children on social media platforms

Cons

  • Potential concerns about privacy and data protection with the use of facial recognition technology
  • Challenges in accurately verifying the age of users, especially with children who might not have official identification