UK ICO Fines Reddit £14.47 Million Over Children’s Data Handling
Summary
The UK ICO fined Reddit £14.47 million, saying it processed under-13s’ data without a lawful basis and lacked meaningful age verification until July 2025. Reddit plans to appeal.
Key points
- The UK Information Commissioner’s Office fined Reddit £14.47 million for collecting and using personal information from children under 13 without adequate safeguards.
- The ICO said Reddit lacked meaningful age verification until July 2025, despite its terms barring users under 13.
- The regulator estimated that many underage children used the platform and said their data was processed without a lawful basis.
- The ICO criticized Reddit’s age-assurance measures, including self-declaration prompts, as insufficient and easy to bypass.
- Reddit said it intends to appeal the decision.
Article Details
- Event Type
- UK regulatory enforcement and data protection fine
- Impact
- The ICO fined Reddit £14.47 million for collecting and using the personal information of children under 13 without adequate safeguards. The regulator said Reddit processed many underage users’ data without a lawful basis and that children were potentially exposed to harmful content. Reddit said it intends to appeal.