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Age checks helping make online experiences safer for UK children, but ‘job not done’ and tech industry must act to strengthen protections

Source: Ofcom published on this website Wednesday 29 July 2026 by Jill Powell

In just one year, age checks are being deployed at an unprecedented scale, ensuring the UK is at the forefront of global efforts to make online experiences safer for children. But, as the UK prepares to introduce a social media ban for under 16s, more action from the tech industry is needed to further strengthen protections for children across the system.

A new report published by Ofcom reveals that age checks are now being deployed at an unprecedented scale across the pornography, social media, dating and gaming sectors. Many services are taking steps to ensure these checks are highly effective in practice, in line with Ofcom’s industry guidance.

The proportion of children being asked to prove their age who encountered highly effective age checks increased from 25% to 43% between July 2025 and January 2026. All of the UK’s top 10 and the majority of the top 100 porn sites now have age checks in place.

Among the minority of online children who attempt to access pornography (8%), the presence of age checks acts as an effective deterrent. Half of these children only reached sites with age checks in place. Nearly nine in ten of these children’s visits (87%) to porn sites were for under 30 seconds, and 65% were for less than 10 seconds.

Checking up on age checks

Despite this significant progress, the job is not done. More action is needed from the tech industry to increase the effectiveness of age checks to protect children online, particularly with a view to the Government’s planned expansion of age assurance measures to restrict under 16s’ use of social media.

Specifically, Ofcom’s report identifies shortcomings in some services’ implementation of age checks, as well as areas requiring further collaboration and innovation from the wider tech industry.

We want to see action in the following four areas:

Too many porn sites still don’t have age checks in place

Many porn sites with age checks in place have experienced sharp declines in traffic, while some without have gained in popularity. Four per cent of children who participated in our study visited at least one porn service with no age checks in place.

Action:

All porn services without age checks must introduce them without delay, in line with Ofcom guidance.

So far, Ofcom have opened 23 investigations into the providers of 88 adult services. Ofcom will continue to take action against services which flout the law and put children at risk, using the full extent of their enforcement powers.

Children finding porn sites without age checks via search

In many cases, children are able to easily find porn sites without age checks via search engines.

Ofcom found that 33% of results returned on the first page of Google Search and 54% on Bing were to pornography sites without age checks or other protections.

Action:

Google and Bing will be working with Ofcom as a priority on practical solutions to tackle the discoverability of porn sites without age checks via their services.

Serious doubts about age inference methods used by some popular social media companies, with Tiktok under investigation

Under Ofcom’s Children’s Codes, social media companiesmust use highly effective age assurance to identify who their child users are to tailor their online experience and protect them from harmful material – including pornography, self-harm and suicide content.

Some social media companies have chosen to rely primarily on age inference methods to identify their child users.^]This is despite them not being included in our guidance as methods that are capable of being highly effective for this purpose.

Evidence in the report reinforces our long-standing, serious doubts about the effectiveness of some of these models. In some cases, companies may be failing to correctly detect significant numbers of children on their platforms, meaning children risk being exposed to harmful content.

Action:

Ofcom have particular concerns about the effectiveness of TikTok’s approach to age assurance and have today launched a formal investigation into whether it is complying with its duties to protect children from encountering harmful content on its service.

The message to social media companies is clear: those which use age inference models to comply with their child protection duties should switch to other methods listed in the guidance as highly effective without delay. If they don’t, they must be able to prove using reliable and compelling evidence to Ofcom that their current method is highly effective.

Age checks need implementing more effectively, including by dating services

Despite having age checks in place to prevent children’s access, over one in ten 15 to 17-year-olds were continuing to visit and spend time on three of the most used dating apps in December 2025. This suggested that their age assurance methods needed to be improved and more closely aligned with our guidance.

Action:

All relevant services must ensure that their age checks are highly effective. That means following Ofcom guidance in full, conducting regular due diligence on any third-party vendors they use to deliver age checks and complying with privacy and data protection obligations.

Many dating services have started improving their age assurance processes following engagement with Ofcom. We expect them to continue to make further changes, in line with the guidance, including by introducing a ‘challenge age’ and ‘liveness detection’.

Next steps for under 16s’ use of social media

When implemented properly, highly effective age checks work, and they will be vital in underpinning future social media restrictions for under 16s.

But Ofcom are clear that social media firms’ current age inference methods are insufficient in preventing children from accessing a service at the point of entry to implement a ban, nor can they be used to enforce minimum age restrictions effectively. As such, sites and apps must strengthen their approach.

Building on the existing guidance, Ofcom will deliver to Parliament by the end of October a rapid assessment of what highly effective age checks look like in practice to determine whether someone is over 16. This will help inform parliamentary debate ahead of potential age restrictions coming into force in 2027.

The wider industry should also be prepared to play their part in strengthening protections for children. Ofcom have already seen action in this space, including from Apple, and expect to see further innovation including from app stores, operating systems and at a device level.

Ofcom will publish a statutory report about the role of app-store level protections by January 2027.

Grooming gang victim’s convictions quashed following CCRC referral

Source: Criminal Case Review Commission (CCRC) published on this website Tuesday 28 July 2026 by Jill Powell

The convictions of a woman who was groomed and sexually exploited as a child have today been quashed by the Crown Court, following a referral by the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC).

The CCRC referred Ms AB’s convictions to the Crown Court in May 2026 after concluding there was a real possibility they would not be upheld because her prosecution may have amounted to an abuse of process.

Ms AB was convicted in December 2002, aged 14, of being carried in a stolen motor vehicle, possession of an imitation firearm and assault. She received a non-custodial sentence.

The CCRC’s investigation found compelling evidence that, at the time of the offences, Ms AB had been the victim of child sexual exploitation and grooming. The CCRC concluded there was a real possibility that the failures of public authorities to identify and protect Ms AB meant she had been unable to effectively participate in the proceedings and consider any defences open to her.

At the time of her convictions, she was said to be “in a relationship” with a man she had met when she was 11 years old. During an interview with the CCRC she explained the man would bring food to her house, flatter her and make her feel special.

Within months, the interactions with the man became sexual, and she was encouraged to have sex with his friends. She explained that he would use violence and emotional blackmail to get her to comply. At the time of her offences, she was living in a children’s home.

The CCRC referral followed publication of Baroness Louise Casey’s National Audit on Group-based Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse, which highlighted widespread institutional failings in protecting children from grooming gangs. This was the first case referred by the Commission involving the convictions of a grooming gang victim in light of those findings.

CCRC Chair Dame Vera Baird KC said: “We welcome today’s decision. Ms AB was just 14 when these offences were committed. Rather than being recognised as a vulnerable child in need of protection, the evidence shows she was failed by the very institutions that should have kept her safe.

“One can only lament the lack of insight, in particular, from the police at the time, that she was prosecuted, when she should have been protected. She would have had no choice but to plead guilty at the magistrates’ court, which she did, exactly as she had no choice but to commit the offences, since she was, at both times, in the grip of a groomer.

“Our investigation concluded there was a real possibility that, because of those failures, her prosecution amounted to an abuse of process. The Crown Prosecution Service Court has now reached the same conclusion and did not oppose the application today. We are grateful to them for their careful consideration of Ms AB’s case.

“Many children who were victims of grooming and sexual exploitation were treated as offenders rather than children in need of protection. We now have a better understanding of the devastating impact that exploitation, coercion and control can have on a young person’s ability to make free choices.

“The CCRC has received other applications concerning grooming gangs, and there is a real body of in-house expertise to help with them now. We will always be ready to talk with such applicants with the help of a trauma-informed member of a trafficking charity or anyone else who the applicant would like to be with them, so that there is a lesser risk of re-traumatising them by the need to re-visit, perhaps, long-ago times which they will remember potentially with great pain.

“I hope this decision and this reassurance will give confidence to others who may have been in similar circumstances.”

Where new evidence demonstrates that a conviction may be unsafe, the CCRC will investigate carefully and independently. People do not have to approach us on their own; they can ask a solicitor, charity or support organisation to help them make an application.

The CCRC received Ms AB’s application in January 2024. During its investigation, the Commission obtained evidence about the grooming and exploitation she experienced as a child, including evidence that was not before the courts when she pleaded guilty in 2002.

Having reviewed the material, the CCRC concluded there was a real possibility the Crown Court would find the convictions unsafe because the failures to protect Ms AB and investigate the abuse she was suffering deprived her of the opportunity to receive a fair trial and properly advance any available defence.

The Crown Court has today allowed the appeal and quashed the conviction

The CCRC is an independent body set up under the Criminal Appeal Act 1995. It is responsible for independently reviewing suspected and alleged miscarriages of criminal justice in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. It is based in Birmingham and is funded by the Ministry of Justice.    

Stronger asbestos controls needed to keep kids safe.

Source: Office for Products, Safety and Standards published on this website Tuesday 21 July 2026 by Jill Powell

Government has told businesses they must not rely on final product testing alone to assure the absence of asbestos in toys.

Following a growing number of product recalls due to asbestos contamination, the Government is reminding businesses that they must be able to demonstrate that toys containing sand are safe before they are placed on the UK market.

Businesses should have robust supply chain assurance in place to demonstrate that products are free from asbestos contamination. Product testing may form part of that assurance, but testing alone is not sufficient.

They should therefore review their supply chains, take any necessary action to address risks, and maintain evidence demonstrating that products are safe and free from asbestos contamination.

OPSS Chief Executive, Graham Russell said:

“Parents should be able to trust that the toys they buy for their children are safe. We know the recent recalls have caused concern, and that’s why we’re reminding businesses of their responsibility to understand and manage the risks in their supply chains.

“The Government will hold businesses to account for ensuring they have the right checks and controls in place and can demonstrate that the products they sell are safe.”

Where asbestos is identified in products, businesses should take immediate action to protect consumers, including product withdrawal or recall.

Consumers can find out more information about products that have been recalled and access advice here: Asbestos in consumer products - GOV.UK

Businesses can read the advisory note on Assuring the absence of asbestos in sand-containing toys.

Southport Public Inquiry: The Government’s response to phase 1 of the Southport Inquiry.

Source: The Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel published on this website Monday 27 July 2026 by Jill Powell

This follows a serious safeguarding incident in July 2024 when 17-year-old AR murdered 3 young girls and injured 10 others in a shocking knife attack at a children’s dance club in Southport.

The Southport Public Inquiry was commissioned in April 2025 to develop a clear understanding of how the attack was able to happen and to identify lessons to minimise the risk of a future tragedy. The Phase 1 report provides a detailed account of the events leading up to the attack and identifies key failures across agencies.

The Southport Inquiry phase 1 report

It highlights five major areas of systemic failure:

Absence of risk ownership: No agency or multi-agency structure accepted responsibility for assessing and managing the grave risk posed by the perpetrator
Critical failures in information sharing: Essential information was repeatedly lost, diluted or poorly managed across agencies
Misunderstanding of autism: AR’s conduct was wrongly attributed to his autism spectrum disorder, leading to inaction and a failure to address dangerous behaviours
Lack of oversight of online activity: AR’s online behaviour, which provided the clearest indications of his violent preoccupations, was never meaningfully examined
Significant parental failures: AR’s parents did not provide boundaries, permitted knives and weapons to be delivered to the home, and failed to report crucial information in the days leading up to the attack

These findings demand careful attention and reflection across the safeguarding system. You can access a summary of the learning from NSPCC below.

Read the NSPCC summary of Phase 1 learning

Phase 2 of the Inquiry will assess the adequacy of multi-agency systems to address the public safety risk posed by young people who display a fixation on and desire to commit acts of extreme violence. In support of the Public Inquiry, we continue to work with Lancashire Safeguarding Partnership to discuss its response to this tragic incident and share the system learning identified in the report.

The Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel would expect to offer support and expertise to any safeguarding partnership involved with a relevant public inquiry. This might include giving advice on whether it is sensible to pause an LCSPR while an inquiry takes place or by making introductions to other partnerships who have managed similar situations in the past.

Drawing on learning from the Southport Inquiry, we have published a new briefing paper about managing public inquiries to support multi-agency leaders and practitioners to respond to high-profile incidents with confidence, transparency and a commitment to learning when public concern is at its highest.

Public inquiries and high-profile incidents

A briefing paper to support local safeguarding children partnerships to manage public inquiries for high-profile incidents July 2026

The Government has published its response to the Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel’s national review following the tragic death of baby Victoria Marten.

Source: Child Safeguarding Review Panel published on this website Friday 17 July 2026 by Jill Powell

Published in February 2026, the review Protecting all vulnerable babies better highlights the complex vulnerabilities faced by babies and unborn infants and calls for clearer national guidance, stronger multi-agency working and more effective information sharing to ensure that risks are identified and responded to at the earliest possible stage.

In its response, the Government has committed to strengthening early identification of risk, particularly during pregnancy and the first year of life, to ensure coordinated responses to the key factors associated with serious harm and death. This includes improvements to maternity, health visiting and primary care services, alongside expanded perinatal mental health support and the rollout of Best Start Family Hubs. Together, these measures aim to ensure that vulnerability is recognised earlier and that families receive timely, coordinated support.

The Government is also introducing stronger safeguarding systems and protections. Under the legal guidelines that all safeguarding agencies work towards, a new duty will require agencies to share information and establish multi-agency child protection teams in every area, improving coordination and strengthening decision-making to better protect babies and unborn children.

Action is already underway to strengthen support for families at risk of babies entering care, particularly where parents have experienced the trauma of previous removals. For example, the Families First Partnership (FFP) programme helps safeguarding partners use funding and local arrangements to better support birth parents by addressing underlying issues such as trauma, domestic abuse, mental health needs, and substance use.

Since the Panel’s review, the legal guidelines that all safeguarding agencies work with has also been strengthened to ensure babies are explicitly recognised as a priority group across both children’s and adult services. This gives professionals the information they need to help risk identification, pre-birth planning and for the first time, recognises the need to consider support for parents who have previously had a child removed from their care.

Panel Chair, Sir David Holmes CBE, said:

“The landmark changes the Government is implementing because of our national review are a positive step in the right direction, but unless they are fully delivered in practice, vulnerable babies will remain at risk.

“As babies feature so often in serious safeguarding incidents, what we see on paper must turn into real, lasting change to ensure that every baby is given the safest possible start in life.

“The Panel will do everything it can to help drive these improvements forward.”

Babies and unborn infants continue to form the largest group of children in safeguarding incidents – the latest figures reveal over 75 babies died last year – a stark reminder of the urgent need for strengthened, system-wide action. Babies under one made up over 60% of deaths seen in serious incident notifications last year.

These measures are a positive step forward to keep vulnerable babies safe and the Panel will work closely with the Government to deliver on today’s commitments and ensure that Victoria’s short life is honoured through meaningful, lasting change to better protect babies and unborn children.