UK Opens Probe Into Tiktok, Reddit Over Children’s Personal Data practices

Britain’s Privacy Watchdog, The Information Commission Office, on Monday Launched an Investigation into How Tiktok, Reddit and Online Image Sharing Website Imgur Safeguard Children’s Privacy.

Social Media Companies Use Complex Algorithms to Prioritise Content and Keep Users Engaged. However, the fact that they amplify similar content can lead to children being influenced by Increasing by Increasing Amounts of Harmful Material.

The watchdog said it is probing how chinese company Bytedance’s Short-form video-sharing platform Tiktok Uses 13–17-Year-Elds’ Personal information to sugges content in their feed.

Social Media and Discussion Platform RedditAnd imgur are being investigated over how they assess the age of child users, it said.

“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 Information Commosphere’s responsibility Said in a statement.

In 2023, the ICO Fined Tiktok GBP 12.7 Million ($ 16 Million or Roughly Rs.

Reddit has been working closely with the ICO and Intends to Comply With All Relevant Regulations in the Countries in which it operates, a speakesperson from the company told reuters in an email.

“Most of our users are adults, but we have plans to roll out changes this year that address updates to uk regulations Around Age Assures,” The Reddit spokesperson Said.

Bytedance, Tiktok and Imgur did not immomediatly respond to a reuters request for comment.

Britain has passed legislation that set tougher rules for social media platforms, including a mandate for them to prevent children from accessing harmful and age-anapproprite And age-checking measures.

Social media platforms including Facebook, Instagramand Tiktok Are required to “tame” their algorithms to filter out

© Thomson Reuters 2025

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