reat Britain’s privacy watchdog, the Information Commissioner’s Office, launched an investigation on Monday into how TikTok, Reddit, and Imgur, an online image-
sharing website, handle children’s privacy.
It is also worth noting that social media companies use complex algorithms in order to prioritize content and also keep their users engaged. However, the fact that they amplify similar content can lead to children being influenced by growing amounts of harmful materials.
The watchdog also mentioned that theories are looking into how the Chinese company ByteDance’s short-form videos are using underage children between 13 and 17 years old to suggest information into their feed.
Reddit and Imgur are also being investigated for how they assess the age of children users. The Information Commissioner’s Office said in a statement that “If we find sufficient evidence that any of these companies have broken the law, we will discuss this with them and obtain their representations before reaching a final conclusion.”
In 2023, the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) fined TikTok 12.7 million pounds, or $16 million, for breaching data protection law by using personal data from children under 13 without parental consent.
Reddit has also been working more closely with the ICO as they are looking to comply with all relevant regulations in the countries in which it operates, reported a spokesperson from the company in an email.
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The spokesperson from Reddit said “Most of our users are adults, but we have plans to roll out changes this year that address updates to UK regulations around age assurance”.
Great Britain has also passed the legislation that set tougher restrictions for social media platforms, also including a mandate for them in order to prevent children from accessing harmful and age-inappropriate content by adding age limits and age-checking measures.
Social media platforms that also include Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok also require “tame” theri algorithms in order to filter out or downgrade harmful materials that sustain the protection of children under proposed British measures that were published last year, reported Reuters.
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