UK Launches Investigation Into TikTok, Reddit, and Imgur Over Child Data Privacy

London : The UK’s Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has launched an investigation into TikTok, Reddit, and Imgur over concerns about how these platforms handle children's personal data and the effectiveness of their age verification measures.

The probe will focus on whether the platforms comply with Britain’s child data protection laws, particularly regarding how they use 13–17-year-olds' personal information to suggest content and curate feeds.

Concerns Over Algorithmic Influence on Minors

Social media platforms rely on complex recommendation algorithms to keep users engaged, often by amplifying similar content. However, regulators and child safety advocates have raised alarms that such amplification could expose children to harmful material, including inappropriate content, cyberbullying, and misinformation.

According to the ICO’s statement on Monday, the investigation will examine:

• How TikTok collects and processes personal data from teenage users to suggest content.
• How Reddit and Imgur determine the age of their users, including their methods of age verification and content filtering for minors.

"If we find sufficient evidence that any of these companies have broken the law, we will present the findings to them for representation before reaching a final conclusion," the ICO said in its statement.

Companies Under Scrutiny, No Immediate Response

TikTok, Reddit, and Imgur did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Reuters.

This investigation follows previous UK legislation that introduced stricter regulations for social media companies, requiring them to:

• Enforce stricter age-verification measures to prevent underage access to inappropriate content.
• Limit the collection and usage of personal data from children.
• Modify algorithms to reduce exposure to potentially harmful material.

UK’s Broader Crackdown on Social Media Practices

The UK government has steadily increased regulations on tech companies to ensure better protection for minors online. Last year, new laws mandated that platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok must "tame" their algorithms to filter or downgrade harmful content for users under 18.

With the ICO’s latest probe, social media platforms face renewed pressure to improve child safety and data protection policies, or risk heavy penalties for non-compliance.