UK Privacy Watchdog has launched a survey of three social media companies on how to protect children’s privacy on their respective platforms.
The Information Committee (ICO) today announced that Tiktok is considering ways to use personal information between 13 and 17 years olds to recommend “in light of growing concern” about how young people are presenting harmful content.
At the same time, the ICO is also considering how Reddit and Imgur are assessing the age of UK users, as well as how children use their personal information.
It’s still early on, but the ICO says it is considering whether there was a breach of data protection law before deciding on the next step.
The probe forms part of a broader push from the UK authorities to check on social platforms. Last year, the Regulator ofcom deleted the investigation last month, but launched its only investigation into allegedly aging disorders. And in 2023, the ICO fined Tiktok $16 million to provide services to children under the age of 13 without the express parental consent to process the data.