A new survey by UK media regulator Ofcom reveals that 22% of children aged 8-17 falsely claim to be adults on social media platforms, raising serious concerns about online safety.
The findings come ahead of the Online Safety Act (OSA) implementation in 2025, which will require platforms to strengthen their age verification processes. Companies failing to comply could face fines of up to 10% of their global revenue.
"Self-declaration of a child's age is clearly completely insufficient," says Ian Mccrae, Director of Market Intelligence at Ofcom. The regulator warns that children posing as adults face increased exposure to harmful content.
When BBC News spoke with teenagers at Glasgow's Rosshall Academy, students openly admitted to circumventing age restrictions. "It's just so easy to lie about your age," said 15-year-old Myley. "I put in my actual birthday - like day and month - but when it gets to the year, I'll just scroll ten years back."
The issue has gained prominence following the tragic deaths of teenagers Molly Russell and Brianna Ghey, leading to increased pressure for stricter online safety measures. The Molly Rose Foundation called the findings "incredibly shocking," highlighting how easily current age verification systems can be bypassed.
While some platforms like TikTok claim to remove thousands of suspected underage accounts daily and are exploring new technologies, others including Meta, Snapchat, and X (formerly Twitter) have been less forthcoming about their efforts to address the issue.
The Australian parliament recently passed legislation banning social media for under-16s, and UK technology secretary Peter Kyle has expressed interest in similar measures.
As 2025 approaches, Ofcom emphasizes that social media platforms must implement "highly effective age assurance" systems to protect young users, with specific guidelines expected to be announced in the coming year.