The U.K. Information Commissioner's Office announced separate children's privacy investigations into social platforms TikTok, Reddit and Imgur. The probes come as the ICO shed new light on its past and ongoing work to ensure children's online safety, including a comprehensive progress report on the application of the U.K. Children's Code.
The TikTok investigation aims to review how it applies personal information of users aged 13-17 to support algorithms for content recommendation. The probes into Reddit and Imgur will explore the platforms' use of children's data more broadly while also examining their age assurance tools.
"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," U.K. Information Commissioner John Edwards said in a statement. "We are making it clear to the public what action we are currently taking to ensure children’s information rights are upheld."
In a statement to Politico, TikTok's spokesperson said its "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."
ICO's initiatives for children
The ICO characterized its investigations as "part of our efforts to ensure companies are designing digital services that protect children." A window into the ongoing efforts shows the ICO is working toward global leadership on children's privacy enforcement.
While announcing its new probes, the ICO listed out a handful of children's privacy enforcement cases that were quietly carried out in 2024. It secured various privacy improvements from the social platform X related to the protection of users under age 18. Mobile applications Sendit and BeReal made respective changes to their children's geolocation data practices after ICO intervention.
"My message is simple," Edwards said. "If social media and video sharing platforms want to benefit from operating in the U.K., they must comply with data protection law."
Recent ICO research suggests the children's privacy focus is warranted.
ICO Deputy Commissioner for Regulatory Policy Emily Keaney indicated a survey found 42% of U.K. parents "feel they have little or no control over the information social media and video sharing platforms are collecting about their children." Meanwhile, only 23% of respondents said they or their children "have stopped using particular platforms and channels because they’re concerned about how this data is used or collected."
"We want to be clear: the ICO is here to make sure children can safely use online services without sacrificing their digital privacy. We will not accept complacency in how these platforms handle their personal information," Keaney said in an outline of the ICO's children's privacy strategy.
UK Children's Code
Upon the application of the Children's Code in 2021, covered entities must ensure their digital services include age-verification methods for inappropriate content, remain transparent in their collection of children's data, and enlist data minimization practices to ensure companies are not collecting vast amounts of data from underage users.
Deputy Commissioner Keaney said the authority aims to promote innovation and grow the digital economy without infringing on children's online privacy. She said doing so means companies must take into "consideration the best interests of young people when designing apps and websites."
The ICO's latest update on the Children's Code also showed improvements made by social platforms.
The ICO sent notices in August 2024 to social media companies requesting information on how their recommender systems use data collected from underage users. Since then, five platforms bolstered their default privacy settings for children, four restricted location data sharing and two began prevented users under 13-years-old from targeted advertisements.
"Our free interactions on these platforms may come with a trade-off. From the moment a young person opens an app or plays a video, a large amount of data begins to be gathered to potentially shape the content they are served with," Keaney said, noting the new TikTok investigation will provide more context on recommender system deployment.
"We will continue our work to drive changes," Keaney added. "And, where necessary, we will use the full force of our regulatory powers to ensure young people can both benefit from and be safe within the online world."
Lexie White is a staff writer for the IAPP.
