The UK Information Commissioner's Office has fined Reddit 16.6 million euros for failing to verify users' ages and for improperly handling children's data.
The UK Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) has levied a fine of 16.6 million euros against Reddit for not adequately verifying the ages of its users and for failing to conduct an obligatory risk assessment regarding children's safety by January 2025. According to the ICO, these violations led to Reddit's illegal use of children's data, exposing them to inappropriate and harmful content on the platform. In response, Reddit has stated its intention to appeal the ruling.
The investigation into Reddit's practices was initiated in March 2025, focusing on the age verification measures and the handling of personal data. The ICO's findings also included scrutiny of other social media platforms, such as TikTok and the image-sharing site Imgur, both of which have faced their own regulatory challenges. In September, Imgur took precautionary measures by blocking access to users in the UK as a response to the ongoing investigations.
Despite stating that children under 13 are prohibited from using its platform, the ICO's investigation revealed that Reddit lacked any means to verify the users' ages until July 2025. This gap in compliance raises serious concerns regarding child safety online and emphasizes the need for stringent enforcement of data protection regulations to safeguard minors from inappropriate content.
