Reddit hit with $20 million UK data privacy fine over child safety failings

Britain’s privacy watchdog fines Reddit nearly $20 million for unlawfully collecting and using children’s personal data

LONDON -- Britain's data privacy watchdog slapped online forum Reddit on Tuesday with a fine worth nearly $20 million for failures involving children's personal information.

The Information Commissioner's Office said it issued the penalty worth 14.5 million pounds ($19.5 million) because the failures resulted in the platform using children’s data “unlawfully."

“Children under 13 had their personal information collected and used in ways they could not understand, consent to or control. That left them potentially exposed to content they should not have seen," said Information Commissioner John Edwards. “This is unacceptable and has resulted in today’s fine.”

The U.K. privacy regulator has been escalating scrutiny of online platforms over child safety. Earlier this month it hit MediaLab, owner of image-sharing site Imgur, with a 247,590 pound fine over similar failures and it has also been investigating TikTok since last year.

The watchdog took issue with Reddit's age verification measures. It said that even though the platform doesn't allow children under 13 to use its service, it didn't have any way to check the ages of its users before July 2025.