UK children use TikTok, Snapchat in 2022

The number of children using TikTok and Snapchat increased in Britain last year, according to research published by media regulator Ofcom.

Around half of the people aged between 3 and 17 use TikTok and Snapchat, according to figures collected as part of the watchdog's annual survey of children and parents online attitudes.

The study found that there had been a slight increase in both apps popularity in the past year, with TikTok now being used by 53% of children up from 50% and Snapchat by 46%, up from 42%. Both companies have faced mounting pressure over user safety in recent months.

Various governments around the world have banned TikTok from official devices due to concerns over its relationship with the Chinese state, while Snapchat has been criticised for not removing more underage users from its platform.

The report said that children's use of YouTube, Whatsapp and Instagram remained steady 88%, 55% and 41%, while the popularity of Meta's Facebook platform declined from 40% to 34%.

Ofcom also found that the proportion of 3 and 4 year-olds using Snapchat had risen to 17% in 2022, up from 12% the previous year.

A TikTok spokeswoman said government bans were based on fundamental misconceptions around TikTok's safety protocols.

A Snap spokesman said that it blocks and deletes tens of thousands of attempts by underage UK users to create Snapchat accounts monthly, misrepresented its efforts.