TikTok To Roll Out Stronger Age-Verification Tools Across the EU. TikTok will strengthen its age-verification technology across the European Union in the coming weeks, as pressure mounts on social media platforms to better protect children online. The new system, developed by TikTok’s parent company ByteDance, has been quietly piloted in the EU for more than a year and aims to identify accounts potentially run by children under 13. The technology analyses profile details, uploaded videos and behavioural signals, alongside information provided by users, to estimate whether an account belongs to an underage child. Accounts flagged by the system will not be automatically removed but reviewed by trained human moderators, with users given the right to appeal if they believe a mistake has been made. During appeals, TikTok may ask users to verify their age through facial age estimation via Yoti, credit card checks or official government identification. TikTok says the pilot programme has already led to the removal of thousands of underage accounts and that the system complies with EU data protection and privacy laws. The rollout comes amid growing political scrutiny, with the European Parliament debating age limits on social media and leaders such as Keir Starmer signalling openness to banning under-16s from platforms. The move follows Australia’s under-16 social media ban and similar safeguards introduced by platforms including Meta, highlighting a broader global push to curb children’s access to online platforms.