Britain’s data privacy watchdog has fined online forum Reddit nearly $20 million over failures related to children’s personal information.
The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) said it imposed a penalty of £14.5 million ($19.5 million), stating that the breaches resulted in the platform processing children’s data “unlawfully.”
The enforcement action was announced on Tuesday in London, citing Reddit’s failure to implement effective age-verification measures.
Information Commissioner John Edwards said children under 13 had their personal information collected and used in ways they could not understand, consent to, or control, potentially exposing them to inappropriate content.
“This is unacceptable and has resulted in today’s fine,” Edwards said.
He added that online platforms likely to be accessed by children have a responsibility to protect them from risks arising from the way their data is used, stressing the need for effective age-assurance measures.
Although Reddit introduced age-verification steps in July 2025 for users seeking access to mature content, including age self-declaration during account registration, the ICO said such measures were easy to bypass.
The regulator added that it would continue to monitor the platform’s handling of children’s data.
Reddit has indicated it intends to appeal the £14.5 million fine. The penalty highlights increasing regulatory scrutiny of online platforms and their obligations to safeguard young users in the United Kingdom.
