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UK ICO fines Reddit $19 million for unlawful collection of children's data

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The UK Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) has fined Reddit £14.47 million ($19.5 million) for collecting and using personal data of children under 13 without adequate safeguards. The ICO found that Reddit lacked meaningful age-verification systems until July 2025, despite its terms prohibiting underage users. The regulator estimates significant numbers of underage children used the platform, exposing them to harmful content. Reddit has announced plans to appeal the decision. The ICO also criticized Reddit for failing to carry out a data protection impact assessment (DPIA) to assess and mitigate risks to children on the platform before January 2025. Reddit introduced age verification for accessing mature content in July 2025, but the ICO noted that the age verification process is too easy to bypass.

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  1. 24.02.2026 16:54 2 articles · 1d ago

    UK ICO fines Reddit $19 million for unlawful collection of children's data

    The UK Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) fined Reddit £14.47 million ($19.5 million) for collecting and using personal data of children under 13 without adequate safeguards. The ICO found that Reddit lacked meaningful age-verification systems until July 2025, despite its terms prohibiting underage users. The regulator estimates significant numbers of underage children used the platform, exposing them to harmful content. Reddit has announced plans to appeal the decision. The ICO also criticized Reddit for failing to carry out a data protection impact assessment (DPIA) to assess and mitigate risks to children on the platform before January 2025. Reddit introduced age verification for accessing mature content in July 2025, but the ICO noted that the age verification process is too easy to bypass.

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