The UK authorities have initiated an inquiry into the practices of TikTok and Reddit in relation to the protection of children’s personal data.
The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) of Britain has initiated an inquiry into the manner in which TikTok, Reddit, and the online image-sharing platform Imgur protect the privacy of minors.
The ICO recently announced that it is investigating the manner in which TikTok, which is owned by China’s ByteDance, employs the confidential information of 13–17-year-olds to recommend content in their feeds.
It is also conducting an investigation into the manner in which Reddit and Imgur evaluate the age of minor users.
Complex algorithms are employed by social media platforms to prioritize content and maintain user engagement.
Nevertheless, these algorithms have the potential to amplify comparable content, thereby exposing children to a greater quantity of detrimental content.
The ICO stated in a statement that it will consider the representations of these companies before reaching a definitive conclusion if it determines that there is sufficient evidence to suggest that any of them have violated the law.
TikTok was fined £12.7 million ($16 million) by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) in 2023 for violating data protection laws by using the personal data of minors under 13 without parental consent.
A spokesperson for Reddit informed Reuters via email that the company has been collaborating closely with the ICO and is committed to adhering to all pertinent regulations in the countries in which it operates.
“The majority of our users are adults; however, we have plans to implement modifications this year that correspond to modifications to UK regulations regarding age assurance,” stated the spokesperson.
In order to safeguard children from accessing detrimental and age-inappropriate content, the United Kingdom has implemented more stringent regulations for social media platforms. This includes the implementation of age limits and verification procedures.
In order to better safeguard children, platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok are required to modify their algorithms to either filter out or downgrade detrimental content, as per the proposed British regulations that were published last year.
