In this research project, we partnered with the Behavioural Insights Team (BIT) to conduct a comprehensive behavioural audit of popular social media and video-sharing platforms (VSPs). This audit, carried out between December 2024 and January 2025, systematically mapped online design practices and assessed their potential impact on user behaviour and outcomes. It focused on four core areas of interest: 1) sign-up process, 2) features and functionalities affecting time spent online, 3) negative sentiment tools, and 4) reporting.
Across these platforms we found that:
- Platforms usually make signing up quick and easy. But in doing so, they do not always draw attention to important choices about privacy or how personal information will be used. Because of this, users may not fully understand how their data is being used or what options they have regarding privacy settings, before providing consent.
- After signing up, users can find tools to help control what they see and how much time they spend on the platform. For example, most platforms let people adjust the types of posts or videos they are shown or set reminders when they have been using the app for a while. However, these tools were often hard to find or use.
- While all platforms have tools to help users block, hide, or report content, these tools can be hard to find or confusing to use. On some platforms, users might have to click through several screens, or it is unclear what happens after submitting a report. This can make it harder for users to deal with unwanted content.
- At sign-up platforms typically do not distinguish between adult and child users, and no platform was using highly effective age assurance (HEAA). While some platforms offer tools to help protect younger users such as parental controls, these features are not consistently highlighted when a user is signing up.
If you would like to find more about this research, see the Insight Paper
For more details about the methodology, see Technical Report – Behavioural Audit of Online Services
For more details about the findings, see Key Findings Report – Behavioural Audit of Online Services
If you would like to comment on this Insights paper, please email to: behavioural.insights@ofcom.org.uk