On Monday, March 3, the UK privacy watchdog “Information Commissioner’s Office” (ICO) launched an investigation into whether TikTok, Reddit, and online image-sharing platform Imgur can protect children’s privacy.
The watchdog stated that it is investigating whether the Chinese company ByteDance-owned short video-sharing platform TikTok has been using personal information of 13-17-year-old children in its feed recommendations (personalized content recommendations to users).
Furthermore, social media companies often use complex algorithms to prioritize content and maintain user engagement. In practice, they may amplify similar content, potentially exposing children to more harmful content. Social media and discussion platforms like Reddit and Imgur are also under scrutiny on how they assess the age of child users.
In a statement, the ICO mentioned, “If we find sufficient evidence that any of these companies have breached the law, we will inform them and obtain their statements before coming to a final conclusion.”
In 2023, TikTok was fined £12.7 million (USD 16 million) for unlawfully using personal data of children under 13 without parental consent, violating UK data protection laws.
A spokesperson for Reddit told Reuters in an email that Reddit has been closely collaborating with ICO and intends to comply with all relevant regulations in the country/region where it operates. The spokesperson stated, “While most of our users are adults, we have plans to implement changes this year in response to the UK’s updated regulations on age protection.”
The UK has enacted legislation imposing stricter regulations on social media platforms, including mandates for implementing age restrictions and age verification measures to prevent children from accessing harmful and age-inappropriate content. According to proposed measures released last year in the UK, social media platforms including Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok must “tame” their algorithms to filter or downgrade harmful content, aiding in child protection.
(This article is based on reports from Reuters)