In response to concerns raised by Ofcom, major social networks like Meta, Snap, and Roblox have pledged to enhance protections for children against online grooming. Ofcom's report, released on May 21, 2026, highlighted shortcomings in existing safety measures on platforms including Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.
Under the Online Safety Act, these companies were prompted to adopt stricter safeguards. Snap plans to introduce default settings preventing adults from messaging unknown children and will launch an age assurance system for UK users this summer. Meta will implement a new feature to hide teenagers' follower lists on Instagram and develop AI tools to detect inappropriate conversations in direct messages.
Roblox aims to enforce age-appropriate game suggestions and will allow parents of users under 16 to disable chat features. Despite these commitments, Ofcom noted that TikTok and YouTube have not made substantial changes to improve safety.