Reddit fined £14.5m in UK over use of under-13s’ knowledge

[ad_1] The UK info regulator has fined the social information service Reddit £14.5m for utilizing the info of youngsters below the age of 13 unlawfully and probably exposing them to inappropriate and dangerous content material.

The hefty punishment from the Data Commissioner’s Workplace (ICO) is the most important positive but for a breach of youngsters’s privateness and comes after the US-based firm launched age checks in July, together with age verification to entry mature content material. Previous to this, the ICO stated, there have been “a lot of youngsters below 13 on the platform and Reddit didn't have a lawful foundation for processing their private info”.

Reddit asks customers to declare their age when opening an account however the ICO stated counting on self-declaration introduced dangers to youngsters because it was straightforward to bypass. The regulator additionally discovered Reddit failed to hold out an information safety influence evaluation to evaluate and mitigate dangers to youngsters earlier than January 2025.

“Kids below 13 had their private info collected and utilized in methods they may not perceive, consent to or management,” stated John Edwards, the knowledge commissioner. “That left them probably uncovered to content material they need to not have seen. That is unacceptable and has resulted in at the moment’s positive.”

It's the third largest monetary punishment the ICO has issued, after a £20m positive for a British Airways knowledge breach affecting greater than 400,000 clients in 2018, and an £18.4m positive for the Marriott Lodge group when greater than 300m buyer information have been affected in a 2014 assault.

Reddit stated it might attraction towards the choice. “The ICO’s insistence that we gather extra personal info on each UK person is counterintuitive and at odds with our sturdy perception in our customers’ on-line privateness and security,” a spokesperson stated.

The corporate stated it didn't require customers to share details about their identities, no matter age, “as a result of we're deeply dedicated to their privateness and security”. It says it removes customers below the age of 13 as a result of they don't seem to be allowed. Its person settlement states that “through the use of the companies, you state that you're a minimum of 13 years previous”.

Since final July, Reddit began requiring UK customers who need to view mature content material similar to pornography to indicate they're over 18 by importing a selfie or a photograph of their authorities ID, so as to adjust to the On-line Security Act.

Edwards stated: “Corporations working on-line companies more likely to be accessed by youngsters have a accountability to guard these youngsters by making certain they’re not uncovered to dangers via the way in which their knowledge is used. To do that, they should be assured they know the age of their customers and have acceptable, efficient age assurance measures in place. Reddit failed to fulfill these expectations.”