British privacy authorities have imposed a substantial financial penalty on the social media platform Reddit, ordering the company to pay nearly $20 million for violations related to protecting children’s personal information.
The United Kingdom’s Information Commissioner’s Office announced Tuesday it levied the 14.5 million pound ($19.5 million) sanction after determining Reddit processed minors’ data in violation of privacy laws.
Information Commissioner John Edwards stated that the platform allowed children younger than 13 to have their personal details gathered and processed without proper understanding or permission. “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,” Edwards explained. “This is unacceptable and has resulted in today’s fine.”
UK privacy officials have intensified their oversight of social media companies regarding youth protection measures. This month, the same regulatory body penalized MediaLab, which operates the photo-sharing platform Imgur, with a 247,590 pound fine for comparable violations, while also conducting an ongoing investigation into TikTok that began last year.
The regulatory agency criticized Reddit’s approach to confirming users’ ages. Despite the platform’s policy prohibiting users under 13, officials noted the company lacked any system to verify user ages until July 2025.
Edwards emphasized that digital platforms accessible to minors must take responsibility for safeguarding young users by ensuring their information isn’t processed in ways that create risks. He said companies can accomplish this through “effective age assurance measures.”
Reddit implemented age confirmation procedures in July 2025, requiring users to provide their age when creating accounts and before accessing adult-oriented material.
However, regulators dismissed this “self-declaration” method as easily circumvented and warned Reddit they would maintain oversight of the platform’s handling of children’s information.
The company announced plans to challenge the ruling. “Reddit doesn’t require users to share information about their identities, regardless of age, because we are deeply committed to their privacy and safety,” the platform stated. “The ICO’s insistence that we collect more private information on every UK user is counterintuitive and at odds with our strong belief in our users’ online privacy and safety.”
