UK Launches probe into TikTok, Reddit, and Imgur over child safety concerns

The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), Britain's privacy watchdog, has initiated investigations into TikTok, Reddit, and Imgur, focusing on their practices regarding children's online privacy. The probes centre on how these platforms handle children's data and ensure their safety from harmful content.
The ICO's primary concerns revolve around:
• TikTok's Content Recommendation Algorithms:
o The investigation will specifically examine how TikTok, owned by ByteDance, utilizes the personal data of users aged 13-17 to curate their content feeds, raising concerns about potential exposure to harmful material.

• Age Verification Practices:
o Reddit and Imgur are under scrutiny for their methods of assessing the age of child users, ensuring compliance with UK regulations.
This action comes amid growing concerns about the impact of social media algorithms on young users, particularly the potential for exposure to inappropriate or harmful content.
"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.
This is not the first time the ICO has taken action against TikTok. In 2023, the platform was fined £12.7 million for breaching data protection laws by mishandling the personal data of children under 13.
Reddit has expressed its intention to cooperate with the ICO and plans to implement changes to address UK regulations regarding age assurance. TikTok and Imgur have not yet issued public responses.
These investigations reflect the UK's increasing efforts to enforce stricter regulations on social media platforms, requiring them to protect children from harmful content through robust age verification and content moderation measures.