Reddit hit with $20 million UK data privacy fine over child safety failings

Britain’s privateness watchdog fines Reddit astir $20 cardinal for unlawfully collecting and utilizing children’s idiosyncratic data

LONDON -- Britain's information privateness watchdog slapped online forum Reddit connected Tuesday with a good worthy astir $20 cardinal for failures involving children's idiosyncratic information.

The Information Commissioner's Office said it issued the punishment worthy 14.5 cardinal pounds ($19.5 million) due to the fact that the failures resulted successful the level utilizing children’s information “unlawfully."

“Children nether 13 had their idiosyncratic accusation collected and utilized successful ways they could not understand, consent to oregon control. That near them perchance exposed to contented they should not person seen," said Information Commissioner John Edwards. “This is unacceptable and has resulted successful today’s fine.”

The U.K. privateness regulator has been escalating scrutiny of online platforms implicit kid safety. Earlier this period it deed MediaLab, proprietor of image-sharing tract Imgur, with a 247,590 lb good implicit akin failures and it has besides been investigating TikTok since past year.

The watchdog took contented with Reddit's property verification measures. It said that adjacent though the level doesn't let children nether 13 to usage its service, it didn't person immoderate mode to cheque the ages of its users earlier July 2025.

Edwards said online platforms that are apt to beryllium accessed by children are liable for protecting them by making definite they’re not exposed to immoderate risks “through the mode their information is used.” They tin bash this with “effective property assurance measures," helium said.

Reddit rolled retired property verification measures successful July 2025 successful bid for users to entree mature content, including asking them to state their property erstwhile mounting up an account.

But the watchdog said “self-declaration” is casual to bypass and that it told Reddit it would proceed to show the platform's handling of children's data.

Reddit said it would entreaty the decision.

“Reddit doesn’t necessitate users to stock accusation astir their identities, careless of age, due to the fact that we are profoundly committed to their privateness and safety,” the institution said successful a statement. “The ICO’s insistence that we cod much backstage accusation connected each UK idiosyncratic is counterintuitive and astatine likelihood with our beardown content successful our users’ online privateness and safety.”

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