Reddit fined nearly $20 million by UK online privacy regulator for 'using children’s data unlawfully, potentially exposing them to inappropriate and harmful content'

Reddit fined nearly $20 million by UK online privacy regulator for ‘using children’s data unlawfully, potentially exposing them to inappropriate and harmful content’ | PC Gamer Skip to main content Open menu Close main menu PC Gamer THE GLOBAL AUTHORITY ON PC GAMES US Edition UK US Canada Australia Subscribe Sign in View Profile Sign out Search Search PC Gamer Games Hardware News Reviews Guides Video Forum More PC Gaming Show PC Gamer Clips Software Codes Coupons Movies & TV Magazine Newsletter Affiliate links Meet the team Community guidelines About PC Gamer PC Gamer Magazine SubscriptionWhy subscribe?Subscribe to the world’s #1 PC gaming magTry a single issue or save on a subscriptionIssues delivered straight to your door or device From$1Subscribe now Don’t miss these AI ‘No platform gets a free pass’: UK government’s Online Safety Act rules extending to chatbots after Grok fallout Security Security researchers claim Persona, the provider behind Discord’s UK age verification ‘experiment’, performs ‘269 individual verification checks’ on user data, including those for terrorism and espionage Hardware I’ve tested 3 free Discord alternatives in a desperate attempt not to offer up my personal data just to talk to my favorite weirdos Platforms US Department of Homeland Security has reportedly demanded personal information about ICE’s critics from Discord, Reddit, Google, and Meta—and at least 3 of those platforms have complied Games Stop Killing Games is launching NGOs in the European Union and the US: ‘We’re not just going away on this’ Platforms Oh, good: Discord’s age verification rollout has ties to Palantir co-founder and panopticon architect Peter Thiel Hardware Age verification checks are now in force in the UK because of the Online Safety Act, but with the Discord fallout, it seems like one bad idea after another Software Discord will decide which servers to age-gate ‘with a combination of automated detection with AI validation and human review’ Hardware Someone has already made a free in-browser 3D model to bypass Discord age verification that ‘works on any potato computer’ Hardware TeamSpeak claims an ‘incredible surge of new users’ has maxed out its hosting capacity in multiple regions as many would-be voice chatters seek a Discord alternative Hardware Discord clarifies it ‘is not requiring everyone to complete a face scan or upload an ID’ and will ‘confirm your age group using information we already have’ Platforms Discord delays its global age verification rollout and cuts ties with Peter Thiel-backed verification vendor after upsetting almost everyone on Earth: ‘We’ve made mistakes’ Games Discord’s new age verification rules got you down? Allow me to suggest an alternative: Internet Relay Chat Hardware Panopticon patch Tuesday: Twitch requires Peter Thiel-funded Persona ID verification for some Affiliates to get their first payouts Platforms Here’s what happens if you don’t complete Discord age verification PopularNEW: PC Gamer Clips!Arc RaidersBest PC gearFalloutGame Quizzes Games Reddit fined nearly $20 million by UK online privacy regulator for ‘using children’s data unlawfully, potentially exposing them to inappropriate and harmful content’ News By Andy Chalk published 24 February 2026 Reddit denies wrongdoing and says it will appeal. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works. (Image credit: Getty Images) Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter PC Gamer Get the PC Gamer Newsletter Keep up to date with the most important stories and the best deals, as picked by the PC Gamer team. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. You are now subscribed Your newsletter sign-up was successful Want to add more newsletters? Every Friday GamesRadar+ Your weekly update on everything you could ever want to know about the games you already love, games we know you’re going to love in the near future, and tales from the communities that surround them. Signup + Every Thursday GTA 6 O’clock Our special GTA 6 newsletter, with breaking news, insider info, and rumor analysis from the award-winning GTA 6 O’clock experts. Signup + Every Friday Knowledge From the creators of Edge: A weekly videogame industry newsletter with analysis from expert writers, guidance from professionals, and insight into what’s on the horizon. Signup + Every Thursday The Setup Hardware nerds unite, sign up to our free tech newsletter for a weekly digest of the hottest new tech, the latest gadgets on the test bench, and much more. Signup + Every Wednesday Switch 2 Spotlight Sign up to our new Switch 2 newsletter, where we bring you the latest talking points on Nintendo’s new console each week, bring you up to date on the news, and recommend what games to play. Signup + Every Saturday The Watchlist Subscribe for a weekly digest of the movie and TV news that matters, direct to your inbox. From first-look trailers, interviews, reviews and explainers, we’ve got you covered. Signup + Once a month SFX Get sneak previews, exclusive competitions and details of special events each month! Signup + An account already exists for this email address, please log in. Subscribe to our newsletter The Information Commissioner’s Office, a regulatory body charged with regulating and enforcing online privacy matters in the UK, has fined Reddit £14.5 million ($19.6 million) after an investigation found that the platform had “failed to apply any robust age assurance mechanism and therefore did not have a lawful basis for processing the personal information of children under the age of 13.” Reddit says it will appeal the ruling.Reddit “failed to carry out a data protection impact assessment (DPIA) to assess and mitigate risks to children before January 2025,” ICO said in a press release (via Ars Technica). “These failures meant Reddit was using children’s data unlawfully, potentially exposing them to inappropriate and harmful content.”Reddit introduced “age assurance measures” in July 2025 “that include age verification to access mature content and asking users to declare their age when opening an account,” the ICO continued, but that may not be adequate: “The ICO informed Reddit that relying on self-declaration presents risks to children as it is easy to bypass. The regulator is keeping Reddit’s processing of children’s personal information under review as part of on-going work focusing on online platforms that primarily rely on self-declaration.” Related articles Age verification checks are now in force in the UK because of the Online Safety Act, but with the Discord fallout, it seems like one bad i