UK Watchdog Probes TikTok, Reddit, Imgur Over Child Privacy

The UK’s data protection watchdog, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), has launched investigations into social media platforms TikTok, Reddit, and Imgur. The probes focus on how each platform collects and handles the personal information of users aged 13 to 17.

The investigations aim to determine whether the companies comply with UK data protection laws, particularly in relation to safeguarding children’s privacy. If the ICO identifies any violations, it will first engage with the platforms before deciding whether to take legal action.

The most prominent of the three inquiries focuses on TikTok. The ICO is examining how the platform uses young users’ personal data in its recommendation algorithms. Regulators are concerned these systems may expose children to harmful or inappropriate content.

“What I am concerned about is whether [TikTok’s recommender systems] are sufficiently robust to prevent children being exposed to harm, either from addictive practices on the device or the platform, or from content that they see, or from other unhealthy practices,” said John Edwards, the UK’s information commissioner.

Reddit and Imgur are also under investigation for their data handling practices and the effectiveness of their age verification systems. “The investigations are part of our efforts to ensure companies are designing digital services that protect children,” reads the ICO’s release.

In response, TikTok said it was “deeply committed to ensuring a positive experience for young people on TikTok,” in a statement to media outlets.

This isn’t the first time TikTok has been in the ICO’s crosshairs. In 2023, the regulator imposed a fine of £12.7 million over the app’s mishandling of the personal information of young users.

“The responsibility to keep children safe online lies firmly at the door of the companies offering these services and my office is steadfast in its commitment to hold them to account,” Edwards said.

TikTok’s use of recommendation algorithms for underage users has been a point of contention worldwide, particularly in Europe. Last year, seven French families filed lawsuits against the platform over harmful content shown to teenagers.

In another case, the Albanian government banned the app for a year after a TikTok-related incident led to the fatal stabbing of a 14-year-old child.