"Children under 13 had their personal information collected and used in ways they could not understand, consent to or control. That left them potentially exposed to content they should not have seen. This is unacceptable and has resulted in today's fine."
"Online platforms that are likely to be accessed by children are responsible for protecting them by making sure they're not exposed to any risks through the way their data is used. They can do this with effective age assurance measures."
"Even though the platform doesn't allow children under 13 to use its service, it didn't have any way to check the ages of its users before July 2025. Self-declaration is easy to bypass and the watchdog will continue to monitor the platform's handling of children's data."
The UK Information Commissioner's Office issued a 14.5 million pound fine to Reddit for failing to protect children's personal information. Children under 13 had their data collected and used in ways they could not understand, consent to, or control, potentially exposing them to inappropriate content. Reddit lacked adequate age verification measures until July 2025, relying only on self-declaration which is easily bypassed. The regulator emphasized that online platforms accessible to children must implement effective age assurance measures to protect users from data-related risks. This enforcement reflects escalating regulatory scrutiny of social media platforms regarding child safety, following similar actions against other companies.
#child-data-protection #age-verification #privacy-regulation #social-media-compliance #uk-ico-enforcement
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