Imgur exits the UK as parent company faces fine

"We have been clear that exiting the UK does not allow an organization to avoid responsibility for any prior infringement of data protection law, and our investigation remains ongoing. This update has been provided to give clarity on our investigation, and we will not be providing any further detail at this time. Safeguarding children's personal information is a key priority for the ICO, and our Children's code strategy outlines our key interventions in this area. Keeping children safe online is the responsibility of the companies offering online services to them and we will continue to hold them to account."

"The UK's data watchdog has described Imgur's move to block UK users as "a commercial decision" after signaling plans to fine parent company MediaLab. It opened an investigation into various companies, including TikTok and Reddit, in March, focused on how these major platforms handle children's data and verify their ages, which led to issuing a notice of intent to fine MediaLab in September."

"When opening its investigation into Imgur, Reddit, and TikTok, the ICO never said that it was in relation to the controversial Online Safety Act. The bill was passed in 2023, but regulatory duties began on March 17 this year, and in-scope platforms had until July 25 to implement mandatory age assurance mechanisms. Soon after deadline day, a flurry of stories emerged as Brits found themselves either having to prove their age to access their favorite sites."

The Information Commissioner's Office opened an investigation in March into platforms including TikTok, Reddit and Imgur to examine how those services handle children's personal data and verify ages. The inquiry led to a notice of intent to fine MediaLab, Imgur's parent company, in September. The ICO interim executive director said findings are provisional and that the regulator will consider evidence presented by MediaLab before proceeding with any fine. The ICO warned that exiting the UK does not remove responsibility for prior data protection infringements and emphasized that safeguarding children's personal information remains a key priority under the Children's Code.

Read at Theregister