Watchdog Launches Investigation Into TikTok, Reddit, Imgur Over Children’s Data

The investigation will look into how TikTok uses the personal data of UK teenagers, aged 13-17, to recommend content and shape their feeds.

A child using an Apple iPhone in a file photo. Peter Byrne/PA

The UK’s data protection watchdog has launched an investigation into TikTok, Reddit, and Imgur over their use of children’s personal information, amid concerns that their algorithms may expose young users to inappropriate or harmful content.

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) said on Monday it will investigate whether any of these companies are breaking data protection law.

TikTok’s algorithm powers the “For You” feed, which recommends content to users based on their preferences and interests. ​ A study by the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH) previously found the app was suggesting eating disorder and self-harm content to vulnerable teenagers within minutes of creating an account.

The ICO will review how TikTok uses personal information of 13–17-year-olds to make recommendations to them and deliver suggested content to their feeds.

Reddit was the fastest-growing large social media platform in the UK last year. It will be investigated alongside the online image sharing website Imgur over their use of age assurance measures to tailor appropriate information for child users.

John Edwards, UK information commissioner, said that children’s information rights are a priority area for the regulator.

“We welcome the technology and innovation that companies like social media bring to the UK and want them to thrive in our economy. But this cannot be at the expense of children’s privacy.

“My message is simple. If social media and video sharing platforms want to benefit from operating in the UK they must comply with data protection law.

“The responsibility to keep children safe online lies firmly at the door of the companies offering these services and my office is steadfast in its commitment to hold them to account,” he said.

TikTok

The ICO chose platforms for investigation based on their growth among young users, market dominance, and potential risks.

In 2023, the UK’s communications regulator Ofcom found that TikTok was the most-used news source for teenagers.

Edwards clarified that TikTok was not being singled out but was chosen to help understand broader social media trends.

“The selection was made based on the direction of growth travel in relation to young users, market dominance, and potential for harm.

“But the underlying technology is what’s interesting to us and that’s present in X, it’s present in [Instagram’s] Reels, it’s present in Snapchat, it’s there across the board on digital platforms. Now, they’re all competing for attention and eyeballs, and so they’re using techniques to maximise those,” he said.

A TikTok spokesperson said the company is committed to creating a safe experience for young users.

“Our recommender systems are designed and operate under strict and comprehensive measures that protect the privacy and safety of teens, including industry-leading safety features and robust restrictions on the content allowed in teens’ feeds,” the spokesperson added.

People watch a video recorded for social media, including TikTok, in New York's Times Square on Jan. 14, 2025. Adam Gray/Getty Images

Meanwhile, TikTok continues to face regulatory challenges in the United States. The Chinese-owned social media company was briefly taken offline in January over national security concerns.

President Donald Trump delayed a ban, giving TikTok 75 days to sell its U.S. business after the previous administration’s order required parent company ByteDance to divest or face a shutdown.

Children’s Code

The ICO’s Children’s Code, introduced in 2021, requires apps, online games, and social media sites to protect children’s personal information.

By default, profiling must be turned off, unless there is a valid reason to enable it.

If profiling is used, platforms must have safeguards to prevent harm, such as exposing children to harmful content.

In August 2024, the ICO contacted five platforms about their default privacy settings. In response, Dailymotion and Twitch improved their approach to protect children’s privacy.

The ICO is still assessing the video-sharing platform Discord and the educational platform Frog.

Meanwhile, Sendit, an anonymous Q&A app, has stopped automatically adding location data to user profiles. It has also introduced new in-app settings, allowing users to easily enable or disable location services for better control over their information.

“In addition, we have secured commitments from Hoop to make children’s profiles private by default. Vero and Vimeo have made changes, or committed to make changes, to improve their approach to default privacy settings,” the ICO report said.

Legislation

Beyond the ICO’s Children’s Code, the UK’s Online Safety Act 2023, along with the UK GDPR and the Online Safety Act 2023, protect children’s privacy online.

These laws require online platforms to protect children’s personal data and ensure privacy settings are secure by default.

Platforms must obtain parental consent before collecting data from children under 13 and take steps to prevent harmful content, such as cyberbullying or self-harm material.

They are also expected to use age-appropriate design, making privacy settings easy to understand and manage, and must avoid nudging tactics that encourage children to share more data.

Additionally, they must enforce stricter content moderation to create a safer online environment.

Companies that fail to follow the rules could face fines of up to 10 percent of their global revenue or even be blocked.

Ofcom has recently warned tech companies that those failing to protect women and girls online will be publicly named, so users can decide whether to keep using them.

It also published new guidelines urging platforms to use better technology to stop intimate image abuse and prevent online exploitation. These new safety rules, part of the Online Safety Act, take effect next month and come with heavy fines for violations.

The government is also considering stricter measures to protect children from social media risks.

A ban on under-16s using social media is “on the table” if tech firms fail to act, according to recent statements by government ministers. While the Online Safety Act is expected to improve protections, officials warn they are prepared to go further if platforms do not address the issue.

PA Media contributed to this report.