TikTok and YouTube have declined to commit to major changes to their recommendation feeds, even as UK regulator Ofcom found that 73% of 11- to 17-year-olds encountered harmful content online during a four-week survey window, according to Tech Times. Both platforms maintain their existing systems already protect children, a position Ofcom's data contradicts: among secondary school-aged children who saw harmful content, 53% encountered it on TikTok and 36% on YouTube. The findings, part of Ofcom's Project Mercury investigation, follow four demands the regulator issued in March covering age enforcement, grooming protections, safer feeds, and a halt to product testing on children. Snap, Meta, and Roblox each committed to new protections, while Ofcom issued legally binding information requests to Meta, TikTok, and YouTube about how their systems work. Under the Online Safety Act, non-compliant platforms can face fines of up to 10% of qualifying worldwide revenue.
