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Reddit has faced a penalty exceeding £14 million (€16 million) from the UK’s data protection authority, which claims the social media company did not adequately safeguard minors, allowing them to be exposed to “inappropriate and damaging material.”

After conducting an inquiry, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) determined that the American firm failed to put in place effective age-checking systems. Reddit stated to Euronews Next that it plans to challenge the ruling.

Alternatively, Reddit primarily used “self-disclosure”—letting users declare their age without additional verification—a practice that the regulator considers inadequate for safeguarding minors.

The Information Commissioner’s Office stated that Reddit might have exposed minors to “inappropriate and harmful material.”

The decision also signifies a major implementation of the UK’s data privacy regulations.

As per the ICO, Reddit’s insufficient monitoring allowed for the collection of personal information from children below the age of 13 without their informed permission.

“Children under 13 had their personal data gathered and utilized in ways they couldn’t comprehend, agree to, or manage,” stated John Edwards, UK Information Commissioner.

This could have exposed them to material they should not have encountered. This is intolerable.

The penalty acts as a cautionary message to other social media platforms functioning within the UK. Edwards mentioned that the regulatory body is now particularly focusing on companies that depend on the honor system for verifying ages.

Dependence on users to self-report their age is insufficient when children could be in danger,” Edwards stated. “I strongly urge the industry to pay attention, consider their procedures, and quickly implement any required changes.

Reddit informed Euronews Next in a statement that the platform “does not ask users to provide details about their identities, irrespective of age, as we are strongly dedicated to their privacy and security.”

“The ICO’s insistence on gathering additional personal details from each UK user is contrary to our commitment to protecting users’ online privacy and security,” it stated.