- Meta Platforms wants age verification checks handled through smartphone operating systems rather than individual apps.
- The UK government is considering whether under-16s should be banned from social media platforms.
- Police chiefs and regulators are calling for stricter protections for children online.
Meta Platforms is urging the UK government to place age verification checks directly into smartphones rather than forcing individual apps to handle the process, as Labour weighs tougher restrictions on children using social media.
Executives from Meta, including Antigone Davis, have reportedly met senior UK government officials and communications regulator Ofcom in recent days to discuss online child safety rules and possible restrictions for under-16s.
At the centre of the discussions is a growing debate over who should carry responsibility for checking users’ ages online. Meta is understood to have argued that age verification would work more effectively if it was built into smartphone operating systems such as Apple’s iPhone software or Google’s Android platform, rather than being managed separately by apps like Instagram or Facebook.
Under the proposal discussed by Meta, devices could provide a verified age signal that apps would then cross-check using their own systems.
The talks come as the UK government’s consultation on whether children under 16 should be blocked from social media approaches its closing deadline on May 27. More than 70,000 responses have reportedly been submitted so far.
The battle over who controls online age checks
The technology industry has long resisted app-level ID verification rules, arguing they create privacy and security risks by forcing users to hand over sensitive personal data repeatedly across multiple platforms.
Meta has previously said a centralised age verification system at smartphone or app-store level would offer a simpler and more consistent approach across the wider digital ecosystem.
In a recent blog post, the company reportedly argued that operating system-level checks would be easier for parents and could apply protections across a broader range of apps, not just major social media platforms.
The debate has intensified partly because of developments in Australia, where authorities are moving ahead with a social media ban for under-16s. Technology companies have reportedly warned that strict bans may push younger users towards unregulated online services with fewer safeguards.
Kanishka Narayan is expected to travel to Australia for talks on how the restrictions are working in practice.
Meta has already introduced “teen accounts” on Instagram and Facebook designed to place younger users into more restricted online experiences with additional safety settings.
Meanwhile, Apple has started introducing age verification checks for some UK iPhone users accessing adult websites and higher-risk online content. Users who fail those checks can face restrictions on certain services.
Apple has historically resisted broader age-verification legislation, reportedly warning in the US that mandatory ID systems could undermine user privacy by forcing millions of adults to share personal information.
Pressure builds on Labour and Ofcom
The political pressure surrounding child safety online is also increasing.
The UK consultation is examining not only whether under-16s should be blocked from social media entirely, but also whether features such as autoplay videos, direct messaging and infinite scrolling should be restricted for younger users.
Earlier in May, the National Crime Agency and the National Police Chiefs' Council reportedly urged Labour to ban several social media features for children unless platforms introduced stronger safeguards.
Police leaders argued that apps allowing adults to contact children directly, or those with weak age verification systems, could not currently be considered safe for under-16s.
Platforms including Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok and X were all referenced during the wider discussion.
At the same time, Ofcom has reportedly warned ministers that the existing Online Safety Act may not currently give regulators strong enough powers to force platforms to block under-13s or under-16s entirely.
The outcome of the consultation could shape one of the UK’s biggest overhauls of online child safety rules in years — while also deciding how much responsibility falls on social media companies, smartphone makers and regulators themselves.
