LONDON, Feb. 25 (Xinhua) -- Britain's data watchdog on Tuesday fined U.S. social media platform Reddit 14.47 million British pounds (about 19.5 million U.S. dollars) for using children's personal information unlawfully.
An investigation by the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) found that Reddit had not "applied any robust age assurance mechanism" and therefore did not have a lawful basis for processing the personal information of children under 13.
The regulatory body also found that Reddit failed to carry out a required Data Protection Impact Assessment prior to January 2025.
ICO said these failures resulted in the unlawful processing of children's data and exposed them to harmful content.
Calling the company's privacy practices "unacceptable," UK Information Commissioner John Edwards criticized Reddit for failing to fulfill its legal obligations to protect children's data and ensure adequate user consent.
The move followed Britain's recent considerations to tighten restrictions on children's use of social media platforms. Globally, governments are increasingly citing concerns over mental health risks, cyberbullying, and exposure to harmful content as grounds for proposed age restrictions and bans. ■