Social media giant Reddit just received a hefty fine of £14.47 million from Britain’s privacy watchdog, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO). The reason? Unlawfully handling children’s data and potentially exposing them to harmful content on its platform.
The ICO’s investigation revealed that Reddit wasn’t properly verifying the ages of its users. This meant a significant number of children under 13 – who shouldn’t have been on the platform based on Reddit’s own terms – had their personal information collected and used without proper understanding or consent. This oversight left them vulnerable to encountering content they were too young to see. In fact, effective age checks weren’t even planned until July 2025.
This isn’t an isolated incident. Governments worldwide are increasingly cracking down on social media companies due to growing concerns about children’s mental health, cyberbullying, and exposure to inappropriate content. The UK, for instance, is considering outright bans for under-16s, while countries like Australia have already enforced similar restrictions, leading to millions of underage accounts being removed.
Reddit, however, is challenging the ICO’s decision and plans to appeal. The company argues that demanding they collect more personal identification information from every UK user, regardless of age, actually contradicts their deep commitment to user privacy and safety. They believe their current approach protects users by minimizing the data collected.
This case underscores the complex challenge of balancing privacy, platform responsibility, and the crucial need to protect young people in the ever-evolving digital world.
Source: https://cyprus-mail.com/2026/02/24/reddit-fined-20-million-in-uk-over-childrens-data-failures
