UK Regulator Fines Reddit £14.5m Over Child Data Failings
The ICO found Reddit processed children’s data unlawfully by lacking robust age checks before July 2025, leading to a £14.5m penalty and an ongoing appeal.
Overview
Britain's Information Commissioner's Office fined Reddit £14.5 million for unlawfully collecting and using children's personal information.
The ICO found Reddit had no robust age-assurance mechanism before July 2025, meaning children under 13 had personal information processed without a lawful basis.
Reddit said it will appeal the decision and criticized the ICO's insistence that it collect more private information on every UK user.
The £14.5 million penalty, roughly $19.5 to $19.6 million, is the ICO's third-largest fine after a £20 million British Airways penalty and an £18.4 million Marriott penalty.
The ICO said Reddit failed to carry out a data protection impact assessment before January 2025 and that it will continue to monitor the platform's handling of children's data.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources frame the story around regulatory failure and child safety by foregrounding ICO findings and quoted claims that Reddit "did not have a lawful basis" and "was using children’s data unlawfully." They give shorter space to Reddit’s defense about minimal data collection, prioritizing regulatory language and potential harm over the company’s rebuttal.
FAQ
The ICO found Reddit lacked robust age-assurance mechanisms before July 2025, allowing children under 13 to have their personal information processed without a lawful basis, and failed to conduct a data protection impact assessment before January 2025.
Reddit was fined £14.47 million (about $19.5-20 million), the ICO's third-largest fine, after £20 million to British Airways and £18.4 million to Marriott.
Reddit plans to appeal the decision, arguing that the ICO's requirement to collect more private information from UK users contradicts their commitment to user privacy and safety.
Reddit introduced age verification measures in July 2025, requiring users to declare their age for access to mature content, but the ICO deemed self-declaration insufficient.
The ICO will continue to monitor Reddit's handling of children's data and push for compliance with data protection laws and the Children’s code.
