TikTok is the most popular news source for 12-15-year-olds, says Ofcom

New studies from Ofcom have revealed that TikTok is now the most popular news source for 12-15-year-olds.

The communications watchdog’s latest report revealed that the video app has overtaken Instagram and YouTube as the leading provider of news for the age group.

TikTok now provides news to 28 per cent of children aged between 12 and 15, with YouTube and Instagram both at 25 per cent.

Despite this, the BBC reaches 39 per cent of those in the age bracket across all their channels, from television to social media, radio and more.

One in every 10 adults now also uses TikTok as their news source, more than Channel 5 and BBC Radio 1.

16 to 24-year-olds are also 30 per cent more likely to get their news from social media than adults, with only 6 per cent of this age group heading to traditional news websites online.

Back in March, TikTok was banned from UK government phones over security concerns around the Chinese-owned app.

In a statement to parliament, Cabinet Office minister Oliver Dowden said the video sharing app – which is owned by Chinese company ByteDance – would be banned with immediate effect.

The move brings the UK in line with the US and European Commission, and comes after UK security minister Tom Tugendhat asked the NCSC to look into TikTok amid potential security risks earlier this week.

He told Sky News that it was “absolutely essential” to keep the UK’s “diplomatic processes free and safe”.

In the same month, the US House Foreign Affairs Committee voted 24 to 16 to give President Joe Biden the power to enforce a national ban on TikTok.