Reddit hit with record PS14.5 million fine for mishandling kids' data
Reddit just got hit with a record £14.5 million fine by the UK's data watchdog for mishandling personal info of children under 13.
The ICO said Reddit broke privacy rules by collecting kids' data without proper consent or safeguards, making this the largest penalty ever in the UK for violating children's privacy rights.
Reddit argues that stricter checks could hurt user privacy
Reddit's system let users simply type in their age at signup, which made it easy for under-13s to slip through.
The platform also skipped a key safety review before January 2025, putting minors at risk of seeing harmful content.
Reddit says it plans to appeal, arguing that stricter checks could hurt user privacy, and points out that it removes users under the age of 13, that it introduced age checks in July 2025, and that adult content now requires real ID or selfie verification in the UK.