Reddit Hit With $20 Million UK Data Privacy Fine Over Child Safety Failings

Reddit rolled out age verification measures in July 2025 in order for users to access mature content, including asking them to declare their age when setting up an account.But the watchdog said “self-declaration” is easy to bypass and that it told Reddit it would continue to monitor the platform’s handling of children’s data.Reddit said it would appeal the decision.“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 company said in a statement. “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.”Related:Dior, Louis Vuitton, Tiffany Fined $25 Million in South Korea After Data BreachesRelated:Italy Antitrust Agency Fines Apple $116 Million Over Privacy Feature; Apple Announces AppealRelated:Vodafone Germany Fined $51 Million Over Privacy, Security Failures

But the watchdog said “self-declaration” is easy to bypass and that it told Reddit it would continue to monitor the platform’s handling of children’s data.Reddit said it would appeal the decision.“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 company said in a statement. “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.”Related:Dior, Louis Vuitton, Tiffany Fined $25 Million in South Korea After Data BreachesRelated:Italy Antitrust Agency Fines Apple $116 Million Over Privacy Feature; Apple Announces AppealRelated:Vodafone Germany Fined $51 Million Over Privacy, Security Failures

Reddit said it would appeal the decision.“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 company said in a statement. “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.”Related:Dior, Louis Vuitton, Tiffany Fined $25 Million in South Korea After Data BreachesRelated:Italy Antitrust Agency Fines Apple $116 Million Over Privacy Feature; Apple Announces AppealRelated:Vodafone Germany Fined $51 Million Over Privacy, Security Failures

“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 company said in a statement. “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.”Related:Dior, Louis Vuitton, Tiffany Fined $25 Million in South Korea After Data BreachesRelated:Italy Antitrust Agency Fines Apple $116 Million Over Privacy Feature; Apple Announces AppealRelated:Vodafone Germany Fined $51 Million Over Privacy, Security Failures

Related:Dior, Louis Vuitton, Tiffany Fined $25 Million in South Korea After Data BreachesRelated:Italy Antitrust Agency Fines Apple $116 Million Over Privacy Feature; Apple Announces AppealRelated:Vodafone Germany Fined $51 Million Over Privacy, Security Failures

Related:Italy Antitrust Agency Fines Apple $116 Million Over Privacy Feature; Apple Announces AppealRelated:Vodafone Germany Fined $51 Million Over Privacy, Security Failures

Related:Vodafone Germany Fined $51 Million Over Privacy, Security Failures

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Source: SecurityWeek