UK Investigates TikTok, Reddit, And Imgur Over Child Data Protection
Earlier today, Britain’s privacy watchdog, the Information Commissioner’s Office, on Monday launched an investigation into how TikTok, Reddit, and online image sharing website Imgur safeguard children’s privacy.
The watchdog stated that it is probing how Chinese company ByteDance’s short-form video-sharing platform TikTok uses 13–17-year-olds’ personal information to suggest content in their feed.
It also stated that it is investigating social media and discussion platforms Reddit, and Imgur over how they assess the age of child users.
In its statement, the Information Commissioner’s Office expressed that if sufficient evidence show that any of these companies have broken the law, it will obtain their representations before reaching a final conclusion.
In 2023, the ICO fined TikTok 12.7 million pounds ($16 million) for breaching data protection law by using the personal data of children aged under 13 without parental consent.
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-inappropriate content by enforcing age limits and age-checking measures.
Social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok are required to “tame” their algorithms to filter out or downgrade harmful material to enhance child protection under proposed British measures published last year.
