Beautiful Virgin Islands

Wednesday, Jun 25, 2025

Children's internet code: What is it and how will it work?

Children's internet code: What is it and how will it work?

A ground-breaking code to create "a better internet for children" comes into force in the UK on Thursday.

Critics say it leaves many digital businesses unsure what to do - but big firms including TikTok and YouTube have already made changes.

What is the Children's Code?


The UK's independent data authority, the Information Commissioner's Office, introduced the Age Appropriate Design Code in September 2020, allowing companies a year to comply.

Without regulation the way in which social-media and gaming platforms and video- and music-streaming sites use and share children's personal data could cause physical, emotional and financial harm, it said.

It had concerns around:

*  privacy
*  inappropriate advertising
*  tactics to keep children online for long periods of time, such as auto-playing another video on a website after one has finished

The code is unrelated to but has lots in common with the draft Online Safety Bill.

How will the code make the internet 'better'?


Companies targeting children must:

*  design services to be age appropriate and in their best interests
*  consider whether their use of data keeps them safe from commercial and sexual exploitation
*  provide a high level of privacy by default
*  stop using design features that encourage them to provide more data
*  switch off geo-location services that track where they are based
*  map what personal data they collect from UK-based children

However, some organisations, including the Coalition for a Digital Economy, have said it is unclear what the data watchdog expects of businesses and called for a better definition of what will be within its scope.

What changes have firms like TikTok and YouTube made?


A flurry of policy changes over the past few months suggest the social-media companies are taking the code seriously:

*  YouTube will turn off default auto-play on videos and block ad targeting and personalisation for all children
*  TikTok will stop sending notifications after 21:00 to 13- to 15-year-olds and 22:00 to 16- and 17-year-olds
*  Instagram is preventing adults messaging children who do not follow them, defaulting all child accounts to private and requiring users to enter their date of birth to log in

What penalties are there?


Those found to be in breach of the code will be subject to the same potential penalties as those who fall foul of the General Data Protection Regulation, which include a fine of up to 4% of global turnover.

As with GDPR, there will be support rather than penalties at first - but the ICO has the power to investigate or audit organisations it believes are not complying.

It would expect companies to offer proof their services were designed in line with the code, ICO regulatory futures and innovation executive director Stephen Bonner blogged.

"Social-media platforms, video and music streaming sites and the gaming industry", rather than more general retailers, would face the most scrutiny.

And the code could have "global influence", with US Senate and Congress members calling on major technology companies to voluntarily adopt the same standards.

The Data Protection Commission in the Republic of Ireland is also preparing similar regulations.

Will companies need to know the age of users?


Despite age limits of 13, many social-media sites have much younger users.

But while age assurance will play a part in determining whether the code is being followed correctly, how they do this is being left up to companies.

The ICO will set out its position later in the autumn - but it does suggest some age-verification methods:

*  self-declaration
*  use of artificial intelligence
*  third-party age verification services
*  technical measures

Rachel O'Connell, founder of TrustElevate, a platform designed to handle young people's data, said: "The self-declaration of age means that these measures can be easily circumvented - and an unintended consequence could be incentivising young people to lie about their ages."

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Explosions Rock Doha as Iranian Missiles Target Qatar
“You Have 12 Hours to Flee”: Israeli Threat Campaign Targets Surviving Iranian Officials
Macron and Merz: Europe must arm itself in an unstable world
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Airlines Evaluate Flight Cancellations Amid Escalating US-Iran Tensions
Starmer Invites Innovators to Join Government Talent Scheme
UK Economy’s Strong Opening Quarter Shows Signs of Cooling
Harrods Seeks Court Order to Secure Al Fayed Estate for Victims
BA and Singapore Airlines Cancel Dubai Flights Amid Middle East Tensions
Trump Faces Backlash from MAGA Base Over Iran Strikes
Meta Bets $14 B on Alexandr Wang to Drive AI Ambitions
WATCH: Israeli forces show the aftermath of a massive airstrike at Iran's Isfahan nuclear site
FedEx Founder Fred Smith, ‘Heart and Soul’ of the Company, Dies at 80
Chinese Factories Shift Away from U.S. Amid Trump‑Era Tariffs
Pimco Seizes Opportunity in Japan’s Dislocated Bond Market
Labubu Doll Drives Pop Mart to Status as China’s Most Valuable Toy Maker
Global Coal Demand Defies Paris Accord Goals
We have new information and breaking details to share about what is shaping up to be a historic air campaign tonight
Six Massive Bombs Dropped on Fordow; Trump: 'A Historic Moment for the U.S., Israel, and the World'
Fordow: Deeply Buried Iranian Enrichment Site in U.S.–Israel Crosshairs
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Pakistan to nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize.
BBC Demands Perplexity AI Immediately Stop Using Its Content
Telegram Founder: I Will Leave My Fortune to Over 100 of My Children
Political Turmoil Resurfaces in Belgium Amid Economic Concerns
Fed policymakers divided on timing of interest rate cuts
Trump signals imminent agreement with Harvard University
Inheritance tax referendum alarms Swiss billionaire community
Japan cancels bilateral security meeting amid US defence demands
AI skeptic Emily Bender warns that ‘the emperor has no clothes’
Israel Confirms Assassination of Quds Force Commander in Tehran
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
FBI and Senate Investigate Allegations of Chinese Plot to Influence the 2020 Election in Biden’s Favor Using Fake U.S. Driver’s Licenses
Vietnam Emerges as Luxury Yacht Destination for Ultra‑Rich
Plans to Sell Dutch Embassy in Bangkok Face Local Opposition
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump's $5 Million 'Trump Card' Visa Program Draws Nearly 70,000 Applicants
DGCA Finds No Major Safety Concerns in Air India's Boeing 787 Fleet
Airlines Reroute Flights Amid Expanding Middle East Conflict Zones
Elon Musk's xAI Seeks $9.3 Billion in Funding Amid AI Expansion
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Taiwan Imposes Export Ban on Chips to Huawei and SMIC
Israel has just announced plans to strike Tehran again, and in response, Trump has urged people to evacuate
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Juncker Criticizes EU Inaction on Trump Tariffs
×