The UK’s Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has opened an investigation into how TikTok, Reddit, and Imgur handle children’s data and enforce age restrictions on their platforms.
The probe will examine whether TikTok, owned by the Chinese company ByteDance, processes the personal data of users aged 13 to 17 in a way that influences content recommendations.
It will also assess how Reddit and Imgur verify the ages of young users and implement measures to protect them from inappropriate material.
“If we find there is sufficient evidence that any of these companies have broken the law, we will put this to them and obtain their representations before reaching a final conclusion,” the ICO stated.
Social media platforms rely on algorithms to curate content for users, but issues have grown over their prospects to expose children to harmful material.
The UK has recently tightened regulations, requiring companies to prevent minors from accessing inappropriate content and to improve age-verification processes.
This is not the first time TikTok has been accused of child privacy violations. In 2023, the ICO fined the platform £12.7 million for unlawfully processing data from children under 13 without parental consent.
A TikTok spokesperson has defended the platform’s content recommendation system, stating that it operates with “strict and comprehensive measures that protect the privacy and safety of teens.”
Reddit, which has been engaging with the ICO, acknowledged that most of its users are adults but confirmed that changes are underway to comply with updated UK regulations.
“Most of our users are adults, but we have plans to roll out changes this year that address updates to UK regulations around age assurance,” a Reddit spokesperson said.
The ICO has made it clear that while no conclusions have been reached, companies found in violation of data protection laws could face enforcement actions, including fines.
