- TikTok is deploying advanced age prediction technology in Europe to detect and remove accounts belonging to users under 13 years old.
- The system analyzes profile, videos and behavior, and suspicious accounts are always reviewed by specialized moderators.
- The platform offers appeals channels with verification via Yoti, credit card or official document, in coordination with European regulators.
- The new measures are in addition to existing controls and differentiated programs for teenagers, in a context of increasing regulatory pressure in the EU.
The social media platform TikTok has taken another step in its strategy to protect minors in Europe with the rollout of new age detection and prediction technology across the continent . The main objective is to more accurately identify accounts belonging to children under 13 , the minimum age for using the service, and close them.
This move comes at a time when European authorities are intensifying scrutiny of how platforms verify users' ages and enforce data protection rules. The public and regulatory debate is questioning whether current systems are truly effective or, conversely, too intrusive on privacy.
An age prediction technology designed for Europe
TikTok's new system is based on advanced age prediction technology developed specifically for the European market . The company, owned by ByteDance, explains that this tool is part of the evolution of a pilot program that was tested for a year in several European countries , including the UK, and which allowed them to remove thousands of additional accounts belonging to users under the age of 13.
The technology combines different sources of information to estimate the possible age of an account holder. Among other elements, it analyzes the data entered in the profile, the type of videos posted, and certain behavioral signals within the application . With this combination of indicators, the system generates a prediction about whether the account might be being used by someone under the minimum age required.
When the tool detects that an account may belong to a child, it is not automatically blocked . Instead, the platform refers the case to a team of human moderators specializing in age verification , who manually review the content and activity to decide whether the account should be deleted.
According to TikTok, European users will receive a notification when this system is activated in their countries. The rollout covers the entire European Economic Area, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom , which are becoming the main testing ground for this new security layer.
The company emphasizes that the system was developed in close collaboration with its main privacy regulator in the European Union , the Irish Data Protection Commission (DPC). The stated intention is to ensure that the age prediction technology complies with European data protection standards and is only used to determine whether an account should be reviewed by moderators.
A global challenge with no single answer
The platform itself acknowledges that online age verification remains a "complicated challenge" for the entire industry . TikTok insists that, to this day, there is no globally accepted method for verifying a person's age without compromising their privacy or anonymity.
This debate is taking place alongside a surge in legislative proposals in various European countries to limit minors' access to social media . Australia led the way by passing the first blanket ban on social media use for those under 16. In Europe, the European Parliament is discussing age limits and stricter obligations for platforms , while governments such as those of Denmark and Italy are considering partial bans for those under 15.
In Spain, initiatives are being processed to tighten minors' access to social media, messaging platforms, and digital services using generative artificial intelligence . The idea under consideration is to require explicit parental or guardian consent for minors under 16 to use certain platforms, with slightly lower thresholds in specific contexts.
Despite these national differences, the common thread is concern about the psychological, social, and educational impact of intensive social media use in childhood and adolescence . Political and social pressure has pushed companies like TikTok to strengthen their age verification mechanisms and design differentiated experiences for younger users.
In parallel, the number of lawsuits and legal claims related to potentially dangerous content and viral challenges affecting minors is also growing . Although these lawsuits do not focus directly on the new age detection technology, they do contribute to regulators requiring platforms to implement more robust systems to prevent the presence of children below the minimum age.
How the new age verification works on TikTok
The company explains that the new approach doesn't replace, but rather reinforces, the age barriers that already existed on the social network. The first filter remains the registration date: when a person creates an account, they must enter their date of birth . If the data indicates that they do not meet the minimum age, registration is prevented, and the possibility of creating another account with a different date is blocked , at least immediately.
Beyond this initial hurdle, TikTok states that it trains its moderation teams to detect signs that an account might be used by a child under 13 , even when they are reviewing content for other reasons (for example, user reports or potential violations of community guidelines). In such cases, the account is sent to a specialized age verification team that decides whether removal is warranted.
The major innovation is that the new technology automates and expands the ability to detect profiles potentially managed by minors . The system examines basic profile information, observes videos uploaded to the platform, and takes into account behaviors and usage patterns—such as content style, interaction with other users, and communication style—to obtain an age estimate.
If the estimate suggests the user is under 13 years old, the account is sent for human review instead of being instantly closed by an algorithm . The company defends this hybrid model as a way to reduce errors and provide a window of opportunity for verification before making a final decision , especially in such a sensitive area as minors' access to the platform.
According to data provided by TikTok, the combination of these measures—registration barriers, active moderation, and automated prediction systems—has allowed the company to remove approximately six million accounts belonging to minors each month worldwide . A significant portion of these removals are due to more sophisticated detection systems, such as the one now being rolled out in Europe.
Appeal options and using Yoti to verify age
Aware that any detection system can fail, the platform emphasizes that there are mechanisms in place to recover an account in case of error . If a profile has been deleted or restricted because it is believed to belong to a user under 13 years old, and the user maintains that they do meet the minimum age requirement, they can file an appeal and provide proof of their actual age.
For these appeals, TikTok uses several methods. One of the most relevant is the facial age estimation provided by the verification company Yoti . This system works through the mobile device's camera: the user records a short video or performs a facial scan, and, using specific algorithms, an estimate of their approximate age is generated without needing to store an identifiable image long-term.
In addition, the company offers alternative methods for those who prefer not to use facial estimation . These include verification via credit card or submitting an official ID issued by a government agency . These methods aim to provide a range of options for reliably confirming age.
This appeals approach isn't unique to TikTok: other major platforms, such as Meta, also collaborate with Yoti to verify users' ages on services like Facebook. This convergence in the use of specialized providers points to an industry attempt to homogenize, at least partially, age verification standards without resorting to even more invasive practices.
At the same time, the company insists that the age prediction performed by the system is not intended for any purpose other than access control and the allocation of appropriate experiences . TikTok claims to have incorporated privacy principles from the design phase, so that the data used to estimate age is not used to personalize ads or for other commercial functions.
Differentiated experiences and safety for adolescents
TikTok's strategy in Europe isn't limited to removing users under 13 from the platform. The company has also focused on providing environments tailored to teenagers who are older than that . For this group, the social network has configured teen accounts with over 50 security, privacy, and protection features and settings enabled by default.
These measures include, for example, predetermined daily screen time limits , restricted notifications during nighttime hours, a bedtime mode , and stricter privacy settings for interactions with strangers. The design aims to ensure that even if the teenage user doesn't change the settings, they start with a high level of protection.
The new age prediction technology will also be used to detect if a teenage user falls within a specific age range , such as the 13-15 age group. If the system's estimate doesn't match the birthdate listed in the profile, the case is sent back to human moderators for review and, if necessary, adjustments to the user's experience to align with their actual age.
This age-based approach aims to ensure that young people receive security settings and content appropriate to their stage of life , something European authorities have long been urging social media platforms to do. The combination of technical controls and human intervention seeks to strengthen protection without resorting to irreversible automation.
Meanwhile, TikTok reminds users that anyone can report an account that appears to belong to a child under 13 , even without having their own account on the platform. These reports complement the automated detection mechanisms and allow families, educators, and other users to collaborate in identifying potential cases where a child is using the social network before the permitted age.
Regulatory context in Spain and the rest of Europe
TikTok's new measures come within a European context where several countries are rethinking the rules governing minors' access to social media and digital services . In Denmark, for example, the government has reached political agreements to restrict access for children under 15 to certain platforms , with the stated intention of protecting them from potentially harmful content or practices.
France is also moving in this direction. Its Ministry of Digital Affairs is working on draft legislation that proposes limiting social media use for those under 15 and exploring measures such as a "digital curfew" for users up to 18 years old . These initiatives are being driven by several parliamentary reports and court cases that have highlighted the risks associated with certain content, including that which has led French families to sue TikTok.
In Spain, the political and social debate revolves around raising the minimum age of access and strengthening parental consent requirements . Some proposals suggest that minors under 16 cannot use networks, forums, or platforms that integrate generative artificial intelligence without the express authorization of their parents, with limited exceptions that would lower the threshold to 14 years in certain cases.
Italy and Greece are also discussing partial bans and specific regulations for figures such as "kidfluencers ," while in Germany a committee of experts has been commissioned to prepare a report on the possible consequences of a general restriction on the use of networks by minors, although no definitive measures are yet in force.
In this scenario, platforms operating in the EU, such as TikTok, are under pressure to demonstrate that their own age verification systems are sufficient to address the concerns of legislators and authorities. The rollout of technologies like the one now expanding across Europe is interpreted, in part, as an attempt to get ahead of even stricter regulations that could arrive in the coming years.
The set of changes TikTok is implementing in Europe reflects a clear shift towards greater control over who can be on the platform and under what conditions . Between new age prediction technology, review by specialized moderators, appeals options, collaboration with bodies like the Irish Data Protection Commission, and the creation of differentiated experiences for teenagers, the company is trying to strengthen its position with regulators and the public, while maintaining its message of respect for privacy and limiting the use of this data exclusively to security and age verification purposes.
