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The UK’s data regulator, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), has slapped Reddit with a £14.47 million fine for the unlawful processing of children’s personal data. An investigation revealed that the social media platform failed to implement adequate age-verification measures, potentially exposing underage users to harmful or inappropriate content. UK Information Commissioner John Edwards criticized the tech giant, stating it was "concerning" that a company of Reddit’s scale neglected its legal responsibility to safeguard the information of minors.
In a statement, Reddit said it "didn't require users to share information about their identities, regardless of age, because we are deeply committed to their privacy and safety.”
In July 2025, Reddit started verifying the age of users in order to comply with the requirements of the Online Safety Act (OSA). But the ICO said the platform relied on asking users to declare their age when opening an account - a technique it said was "easy to bypass".
The regulator added companies operating online services likely to be accessed by children had a responsibility to protect them, including by making sure the way their data was collected and used did not expose them to risks.
"To do this, they need to be confident they know the age of their users and have appropriate, effective age assurance measures in place," said Edwards.
"Reddit failed to meet these expectations."
The ICO first started investigating the platform last March, alongside TikTok and image-sharing site Imgur, over concerns about their use of children's data.
On Tuesday, the regulator said while Reddit's terms of service said under-13s were not allowed on the site, its estimates suggested "there were a large number of children under 13 on the platform".
The regulator concluded the platform had, as a result, processed children's data without a lawful basis to do so.
Under UK law, companies must take extra care and action when collecting data belonging to child users because they may be less aware of risks that can come with platforms collecting and using it.
The ICO said Reddit "must do better", adding it was continuing to consider the age assurance controls it had since implemented.
