Boosting Children's Safety Online: User Controls
Published: 24 April 2025
This page contains details of an online randomised control trial to test different ways to encourage children to choose to use content controls to restrict exposure to harmful content during the sign-up process of a mock social media platform.
Consulting children about online safety
Published: 16 December 2024
Last updated: 24 April 2025
Ofcom has been consulting with children to find out what they think about Ofcom’s proposals to improve online safety.
Children's online 'user ages'
Published: 11 October 2022
Last updated: 24 April 2025
Research to understand to what extend children are bypassing age assurance measures.
Barriers to proving age on adult sites
Published: 6 November 2023
Last updated: 7 April 2025
How UK internet users aged 16+ experience accessing pornographic content online and passing any age checks if encountered.
How video-sharing platforms protect children from encountering harmful videos
Published: 14 December 2023
Last updated: 21 March 2025
How TikTok, Twitch and Snap try to prevent children from watching potentially harmful videos.
Understanding online communications among children
Published: 9 November 2023
Last updated: 16 December 2024
Ofcom has been conducting research to understand children’s experiences of communications online, including any uncomfortable or unwanted contact and receiving sexualised messages.
Boosting children's safety online: Help Centres
Published: 8 May 2024
Last updated: 30 July 2024
This online trial tested different ways to encourage children to access age-appropriate user support materials (or help centre) during the sign-up process of a mock social media platform.
Children's attitudes to reporting content online
Published: 8 May 2024
This research was designed to better understand the experiences of and attitudes towards reporting among children who use social media and/or video-sharing platforms.
Child development stages review
Published: 8 May 2024
This review builds Ofcom's understanding of children and young people's development stages, and how this interacts with their online decision making and behaviour.
Understanding pathways to online violent content among children
Published: 15 March 2024
This research explores the pathways through which children encounter violent content online, the impact this can have, and perceptions and use of safety measures.