Key Takeaways:

• UK's Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) investigates TikTok, Reddit, and Imgur regarding children's data privacy.
• Investigation focuses on compliance with data protection laws and age verification practices.
• ICO previously fined TikTok £12.7 million for mishandling children's data.
• Reddit plans to implement changes to comply with new UK regulations.
• The inquiry aims to protect children from harmful content on social media platforms.

The UK's Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) has initiated a formal investigation into how popular platforms TikTok, Reddit, and Imgur manage the personal data of children. This investigation comes amid increasing concerns about the potential impacts of social media on younger audiences and the need for stringent data protection measures.

The ICO's inquiry aims to assess whether these companies are adhering to laws designed to safeguard children's privacy, specifically examining how TikTok, owned by Chinese company ByteDance, utilizes the personal information of users aged 13 to 17 to tailor content in their feeds. Additionally, the review will scrutinize the age verification processes employed by Reddit and Imgur to ensure compliance with regulations concerning underage users.

In a statement, the ICO remarked, "If we find there is sufficient evidence that any of these companies have broken the law, we will put this to them and obtain their representations before reaching a final conclusion." Notably, this investigation follows a previous incident where TikTok faced a £12.7 million fine imposed in 2023 for utilizing personal data of children under the age of 13 without appropriate parental consent.

Reddit's spokesperson indicated the platform's commitment to regulatory compliance, stating their plans to introduce changes to align with the updated age assurance regulations set by the UK. Both TikTok and Imgur have not yet provided comments in response to the ICO's ongoing investigation.

This probe is part of a broader effort by the ICO to enforce tougher stipulations for social media platforms, pushing them to actively prevent children from encountering harmful and age-inappropriate content by implementing serious age verification and content moderation measures as detailed in proposed legislation last year.

For more details, visit India Times.