London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Jun 20, 2025

TikTok is fastest growing news source for UK adults, Ofcom finds

TikTok is fastest growing news source for UK adults, Ofcom finds

App is used by 7% of adults for news with nearly half turning to TikTokers rather than conventional outlets for updates

Watch out Huw Edwards, the TikTokers are coming. The social video platform is the fastest growing news source for UK adults, according to a survey, but nearly half of people using it for current affairs turn to fellow TikTokers rather than conventional news organisations for their updates.

TikTok is used by 7% of adults for news, according to the UK’s communications watchdog, up from 1% in 2020. The growth is primarily driven by young users, with half of its news followers aged 16 to 24.


Ofcom’s annual report on news consumption in the UK showed that for teenagers aged 12-15, Instagram has deposed BBC One and BBC Two as the most popular news source among teenagers, closely followed by TikTok and YouTube.

“Teenagers today are increasingly unlikely to pick up a newspaper or tune into TV News, instead preferring to keep up-to-date by scrolling through their social feeds,” said Yih-Choung Teh, Ofcom’s group director for strategy and research. “And while youngsters find news on social media to be less reliable, they rate these services more highly for serving up a range of opinions on the day’s topical stories.”

The Ofcom study showed that news organisations are having to compete with non-journalist TikTokers as a news source on the platform. For those who consume news on TikTok, their main source is other people they follow (44%), followed by friends and family (32%) and then news organisations (24%). The most popular official news sources on TikTok include Sky News, the BBC and ITV.


TikTok has more than 1 billion users worldwide and is owned by ByteDance, a Chinese tech company. Its power as a news source has come to the fore during the Russian invasion of Ukraine, with the White House briefing 30 influential TikTokers on the war.

Despite TikTok’s growth in the UK as a news source, it appears to lag the US. A quarter of US adults say they always use TikTok to get the news, with nearly half of US millennial and Gen Z adults – under-41s and under-25s respectively – indicating the same, according to the analysis firm Forrester Research.

There have also been warnings that the platform has been susceptible to misinformation and disinformation during the conflict, with examples including video game clips passed off as real footage and the mislabelling of footage to give the impression that Russia is readying for a nuclear attack. Disinformation is the deliberate distribution of false information that intends to cause harm, whereas misinformation is when false information is shared but no harm is meant.


The app also became a highly popular source of coverage for the defamation case brought by Johnny Depp against his ex-wife Amber Heard in the US, with the platform’s videos appearing to skew heavily in favour of Depp, who ultimately won the case. On TikTok videos posted with the #JusticeForJohnnyDepp hashtag gained more than 20bn views in two months, while the derogatory #AmberTurd had billions of views.

Nic Newman, a senior research associate at the Reuters Institute for the Study Journalism, said the institute’s own research indicated that TikTok was not used as a platform for serious news.

“Even young people, mostly, don’t see it as a platform for serious news. But they see it as a good place to get news about celebrity or issues that are not about life and death. They will often use TikTok in combination with traditional news when something really big happens like the war in Ukraine,” he said.

The Ofcom survey showed that only three out of 10 people who use TikTok for news view it as a trustworthy source.

Fanbytes, a UK-based generation Z marketing agency, said TikTok creators like Matt Welland and Dylan Page were making news “more accessible”.

“Tiktok shouldn’t be viewed only as an entertainment platform. It is an active participant in popular culture, with people using the platform to be updated on social movements and news affairs,” said Emily Hall, a campaign manager at Fanbytes.

A TikTok spokesperson said the platform was a place where “millions of people come to be entertained and learn”, adding: “We want everyone who uses TikTok to have access to good and accurate information, which is why our community guidelines makes clear we do not allow harmful misinformation.”

The Ofcom report shows, however, that TikTok remains far behind conventional news sources and one social media powerhouse in particular. BBC One remains the most popular news source among adults (53%), followed by ITV (35%) and then Facebook (32%), which remains the most popular social media source for news (32%). Among newspapers, the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday are the most popular (15%) followed by the Guardian and Observer (10%).

Ofcom found that younger age groups are much more likely to use the internet and social media for news, whereas their older counterparts favour print, radio and TV.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
FBI and Senate Investigate Allegations of Chinese Plot to Influence the 2020 Election in Biden’s Favor Using Fake U.S. Driver’s Licenses
Vietnam Emerges as Luxury Yacht Destination for Ultra‑Rich
Plans to Sell Dutch Embassy in Bangkok Face Local Opposition
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump's $5 Million 'Trump Card' Visa Program Draws Nearly 70,000 Applicants
DGCA Finds No Major Safety Concerns in Air India's Boeing 787 Fleet
Airlines Reroute Flights Amid Expanding Middle East Conflict Zones
Elon Musk's xAI Seeks $9.3 Billion in Funding Amid AI Expansion
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Taiwan Imposes Export Ban on Chips to Huawei and SMIC
Israel has just announced plans to strike Tehran again, and in response, Trump has urged people to evacuate
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Juncker Criticizes EU Inaction on Trump Tariffs
EU Proposes Ban on New Russian Gas Contracts
Analysts Warn Iran May Resort to Unconventional Warfare
Iranian Regime Faces Existential Threat Amid Conflict
Energy Infrastructure Becomes War Zone in Middle East
UK Home Secretary Apologizes Over Child Grooming Failures
Trump Organization Launches 5G Mobile Network and Golden Handset
Towcester Hosts 2025 English Greyhound Derby Amid Industry Scrutiny
Gary Oldman and David Beckham Knighted in King's Birthday Honours
Over 30,000 Lightning Strikes Recorded Across UK During Overnight Storms
Princess of Wales Returns to Public Duties at Trooping the Colour
Red Arrows Use Sustainable Fuel in Historic Trooping the Colour Flypast
Former Welsh First Minister Addresses Unionist Concerns Over Irish Language
Iran Signals Openness to Nuclear Negotiations Amid Ongoing Regional Tensions
France Bars Israeli Arms Companies from Paris Defense Expo
King Charles Leads Tribute to Air India Crash Victims at Trooping the Colour
Jack Pitchford Embarks on 200-Mile Walk to Support Stem Cell Charity
Surrey Hikers Take on Challenge of Climbing 11 Peaks in a Single Day
UK Deploys RAF Jets to Middle East Amid Israel-Iran Tensions
Two Skydivers Die in 'Tragic Accident' at Devon Airfield
Sainsbury's and Morrisons Accused of Displaying Prohibited Tobacco Ads
UK Launches National Inquiry into Grooming Gangs
Families Seek Closure After Air India Crash
Gold Emerges as Global Safe Haven Amid Uncertainty
Trump Reports $57 Million Earnings from Crypto Venture
Trump's Military Parade Sparks Concerns Over Authoritarianism
Nationwide 'No Kings' Protests Challenge Trump's Leadership
UK Deploys Jets to Middle East Amid Rising Tensions
Trump's Anti-War Stance Tested Amid Israel-Iran Conflict
Germany Holds First Veterans Celebration Since WWII
U.S. Health Secretary Dismisses CDC Vaccine Advisory Committee
Minnesota Lawmaker Melissa Hortman and Husband Killed in Targeted Attack; Senator John Hoffman and Wife Injured
Exiled Iranian Prince Reza Pahlavi Urges Overthrow of Khamenei Regime
×