ICO Examines TikTok, Reddit, and Imgur for Compliance with Child Data Protection Laws
The U.K.'s Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) has launched an investigation into TikTok, Reddit, and Imgur to examine how they protect children aged 13 to 17. The probe focuses on how these platforms use children’s personal data to recommend content, amid concerns that such practices may expose young users to inappropriate material.
The ICO is particularly scrutinizing TikTok’s recommendation algorithms and the methods Reddit and Imgur use to verify user age and tailor content. This follows the enforcement of the U.K.'s Children’s Code in September 2021, which sets standards for handling children's data online.
John Edwards, U.K. Information Commissioner, stressed that companies must ensure children's safety online. The ICO will provide updates and share its findings with the platforms before making final conclusions. This investigation follows similar actions by other platforms like X (formerly Twitter) and Viber to protect young users.
Source: https://thehackernews.com/2025/03/uk-ico-investigates-tiktok-reddit-and.html