• TikTok launches technology to estimate users’ ages
• Accounts with questionable ages will be manually reviewed before any action

TikTok will soon begin rolling out a new system across Europe to determine users’ ages, a move prompted by regulatory pressure to limit accounts belonging to children under 13.

The platform explained that the new system, which underwent a year-long trial in the UK, analyzes profile information, posted videos, and user behavior to estimate whether an account belongs to a minor.

TikTok noted that accounts flagged as potentially underage will be reviewed by specialized moderators instead of being automatically banned.

This development comes as European authorities increasingly scrutinize how platforms verify user ages under strict data-protection rules, amid concerns that current methods are either ineffective or overly intrusive.

Last year, Australia imposed the world’s first social media ban for children under 16, while the European Parliament is pushing for age limits on platforms. Denmark seeks to ban social media for those under 15.

The UK trial resulted in the removal of thousands of accounts belonging to children under 13.

Tensions escalated recently after a U.S. court in Delaware agreed to hear TikTok’s request to dismiss a lawsuit filed by the parents of five British children who died while performing challenges and pranks on the platform.

The parents alleged that TikTok’s algorithms promoted dangerous content, including the “blackout challenge,” which encouraged children to choke themselves.

The Delaware Superior Court lawsuit stated: “ByteDance harmed these children despite knowing that its programming decisions were causing accidental deaths.” Some of the children were under 13.

TikTok responded: “Our deepest sympathies remain with these families. We strictly prohibit any content that promotes or encourages dangerous behavior.”

In 2022, TikTok had successfully dismissed a separate lawsuit related to the death of a 10-year-old girl.

The platform emphasized that no globally accepted method exists to verify user age while preserving privacy. However, it will use facial-age estimation through verification provider Yoti, as well as credit card and government ID checks for appeals against bans.

TikTok said the new technology was designed specifically for Europe to meet regulatory requirements, developed in collaboration with Ireland’s Data Protection Commission, and European users will be notified when the system launches.