UK Watchdog Investigates Children's Safety on TikTok and Reddit
- The UK's ICO is investigating TikTok, Reddit, and Imgur over children's safety
- The investigation focuses on the use of personal data and age verification measures
- TikTok was previously fined £12.7 million for allowing children under 13 to use the platform
- The ICO is committed to holding social media companies accountable for protecting children online
- The investigation is part of a broader effort to ensure compliance with data protection law
Investigation Details
The UK's Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) has announced an investigation into how TikTok, Reddit, and Imgur protect children on their platforms. The probe into TikTok is examining how the platform uses young users' personal data for recommendations and suggested content, while the investigation into Reddit and Imgur is focusing on both the use of children's personal information and the measures used to estimate or confirm a child's age.
According to UK Information Commissioner John Edwards, social media and video sharing platforms must comply with data protection law to operate in the UK. The responsibility to keep children safe online lies with the companies offering these services, and the ICO is committed to holding them accountable.
In 2023, the ICO fined TikTok £12.7 million for allowing up to 1.4 million children under 13 to use the platform in 2020 and using their data without parental consent. TikTok has also faced backlash in the US regarding its handling of young users, with mixed results.