Published:
11 October 2022
Last updated:
28 November 2024
Our research has found that while most children between 8 and 17 have a profile on at least one social media platform, some are younger than the minimum age required to use that platform. When a child enters a false age to gain access to the platform, as they get older, so does their false 'user age'. This puts them at greater risk of encountering age-inappropriate or potentially harmful content.
We wanted to estimate the proportion of children who have a false 'user age' on their online profile, making them appear older than they actually are.
2024 data (Wave 3)
| Document | Date published |
|---|---|
| Chart pack | 28 November 2024 |
| Children's Online 'user ages' Wave 3 Data Tables (XLSX, 2 MB) | 28 November 2024 |
| Children's Online 'user ages' Wave 3 Data (SAV, 5.8 MB) | 28 November 2024 |
| Questionnaire | 28 November 2024 |
| Technical report | 28 November 2024 |
| User Age calculation scenarios flow map | 28 November 2024 |
2024 data (Wave 2)
| Document | Date published |
|---|---|
| Chart pack | 8 May 2024 |
| Children’s User Age Wave 2 - Data Tables (XLSX, 1.93 MB) | 8 May 2024 |
| Children’s User Age Wave 2 - Data file (SAV, 6.66 MB) | 8 May 2024 |
| Questionnaire | 8 May 2024 |
| Technical report | 8 May 2024 |
| User Age calculation scenarios flow map | 8 May 2024 |
2023 data (Wave 1)
| Document | Date published |
|---|---|
| Chart pack (PDF, 443.6 KB) | 28 November 2023 |
| childrens-user-age-2023-data-tables (XLSX, 1.49 MB) | 28 November 2023 |
| Ofcom-Childrens-User-Age-2023-Data-File (SAV, 6.56 MB) | 28 November 2023 |
| Questionnaire (PDF, 251.6 KB) | 28 November 2023 |
| Technical report (PDF, 392.9 KB) | 28 November 2023 |
| User age calculation scenarios flow map (PDF, 495.2 KB) | 28 November 2023 |
2022 data
| Document | Date published |
|---|---|
| Chart pack (PDF, 992.6 KB) | 11 October 2022 |
| children-user-ages-data-tables (XLSX, 932.18 KB) | 11 October 2022 |
| children-user-age-only-data-tables (XLSX, 33.26 KB) | 11 October 2022 |