UK fines Reddit £14.47m for failing to verify users' ages
Feb 24th 2026
The Information Commissioner's Office found Reddit relied on easy to bypass self-declared ages and processed data from children without a lawful basis, and the company says it will appeal.
- The ICO fined Reddit £14.47m for unlawfully using children's personal information.
- Regulators found Reddit relied on users self-declaring their age, a method the ICO described as easy to bypass.
- The ICO concluded Reddit processed data from under-13s without a lawful basis and failed to meet legal duties to protect children.
- Reddit introduced age verification in July 2025 to comply with the Online Safety Act but the ICO is still assessing whether those controls are effective.
- Reddit said collecting more private information on UK users would harm privacy and intends to appeal the decision.
- The ICO began its probe in March alongside investigations into TikTok and Imgur and is coordinating with Ofcom on child protection under the Online Safety Act.