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UK fines Reddit $19 million for using children’s data unlawfully

⁨799⁩ ⁨likes⁩

Submitted ⁨⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago⁩ by ⁨Beep@lemmus.org⁩ to ⁨technology@lemmy.world⁩

https://ico.org.uk/about-the-ico/media-centre/news-and-blogs/2026/02/reddit-issued-with-1447m-fine-for-children-s-privacy-failures/

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Comments

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  • lyralycan@sh.itjust.works ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

    As much as I hate Reddit this is just continuation of the UK government steamrolling and destroying the free Internet, ruining the adult experience.

    One of the wonders of the Internet was that it was wildly unregulated - if you wanted it and you could disable safesearch you could get it, with the caveat of ISP-enforced content locks on all mobile subscriptions with data under the name of a legal child (under 18), workplace and school security and filters, unremovable Safesearch on most search engines etc. Broadband required an adult. I couldnt wait until I turned 18 so I could finally access many sites for porn, news, gaming, forums and anything containing keywords without being blocked.

    In short there is significant existing protection in place and we know that this is simply more evidence of Orwellian enforcement.

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    • a_non_monotonic_function@lemmy.world ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

      The unregulated internet had literal child porn sites that were available to anyone.

      I don’t disagree with some of your points but the “wild West” internet shouldn’t exist in society.

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      • 87Six@lemmy.zip ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

        And how the fuck, exactly, are their new laws preventing CP sites from existing?

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      • lyralycan@sh.itjust.works ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

        Well yes, the more CSAM detection and predator hunting, the better. Task forces and, dare I say it, detection programs with algorithms that may or may not include AI learning, are invaluable to eliminating the actually terrible stuff, anything that can’t even be educational.

        I believe the Online Safety Act and Chat Control’s sections that tie every user’s real identity to their online actions is not a solution, because when that data gets leaked and/or abused many innocent lives are in danger. I trust the state very little. I trust unidentified malicious hackers even less.

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      • HeyThisIsntTheYMCA@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

        okay so, first, were the CSAM websites illegal then? is the issue you see one of enforcement, not how the laws are written?

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    • saltesc@lemmy.world ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

      So, the Cyberpolice were never real? 😯

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  • abbiistabbii@piefed.blahaj.zone ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

    Oh I’m sorry, which government demanded age checks which made kids give away their data to check their ages? Oh yeah.

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  • Canconda@lemmy.ca ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

    /u/Spez (creator of /r/jailbait) should be in the car next to Andrew and on the gallows next to Epstein.

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    • blackn1ght@feddit.uk ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

      I’m not defending the guy but wasn’t it that a mod of that subreddit added him as a mod as a joke? I don’t think spez created it.

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      • pelespirit@sh.itjust.works ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

        I believe op unless you have proof.

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    • Zak@lemmy.world ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

      It was created by Violentacrez, not spez.

      Prior to late 2012, it was possible to make someone a moderator of a subreddit without their consent, which was sometimes done as a joke or harassment. That’s why spez was briefly a moderator of r/jailbait.

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      • Canconda@lemmy.ca ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

        Fair point! But he still created a website that allowed that kind of content and is a POS human that deserves what he gets.

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    • FinjaminPoach@lemmy.world ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

      /u/Spez (creator of /r/jailbait)

      oh 🫣 I’ve probably heard that before but I must not have committed it to memory

      Well that explains why Reddit was so ridiculously pro-porn and porn riddles in general.

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    • taiyang@lemmy.world ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

      Ironically, Huffman doesn’t seem to be in the Epstein files. This isn’t because he isn’t a pedophile-- he very likely is-- but he simply wasn’t important enough of a person for them to invite him or even talk about him.

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      • Canconda@lemmy.ca ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

        4chan had approximately 10x the users as reddit did in 2011 when Epstein and Poole connected.

        But ya fuck u/spez. Even the biggest losers on earth hate u/spez

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  • SirMaple__@lemmy.ca ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

    Image

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    • Tja@programming.dev ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

      Because of content. I still can’t find woodworking, amarthome, soccer or F1 content or lemmy, just to name a few. I lurk in incognito mode on reddit for that, so the ads don’t have any data about me.

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  • julysfire@lemmy.world ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

    Cost of doing business to them. Make fines actually hurt and then maybe something will change.

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    • BennyTheExplorer@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

      Or just prosecute them criminally, like they do with the pesants

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  • toiletobserver@lemmy.world ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

    Image

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  • Sunshine@lemmy.ca ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

    Garbage fine by tyrannical government trying to police what you do online. Stop age verification!

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  • SleepyPie@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

    A silly noble once said,

    “If the penalty for a crime is a fine, then that law only exists for the lower class.”

    Business criminals need to be barred from business, and criminal profits returned to the public.

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  • bigkahuna1986@lemmy.ml ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

    This will surely stop reddit in it’s tracks!

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    • Sunshine@lemmy.ca ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

      Cheering on websites getting fined for the reason of internet censorship. I know Spez is a prick but I don’t want the UK cracking down on internet privacy.

      We must protest against the labour party’s corruption.

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    • Frozengyro@lemmy.world ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

      Better go buy some reddit gold to help them pay their fine!

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      • Patrikvo@lemmy.zip ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

        If your accound is permabanned, can you even buy any Reddit Gold?

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  • GreenTara@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

    Really waiting for the mass exodus from reddit. It seems like it’s gotten pretty shitty over there the past year or so.

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    • Mwa@thelemmy.club ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
      • Youtube,Discord and Twitch
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    • nukeforyou@lemmy.zip ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

      it kinda sucks tho that all my google searches for tech support I have to put site:reddit.com at the end because the rest of the web is shit for support

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      • douglasg14b@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

        You can thank walled gardens like Discord for that.

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  • mjr@infosec.pub ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

    This seems like one of those cases where you wish both sides could lose. Reddit are up to no good, but lack of identity document demands isn’t it.

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  • chaotic_ugly@lemmy.zip ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

    Spez is such a colossal Zuckerberg-wannabe piece of shit. I don’t think any site has fallen father than Reddit has. What a waste.

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    • Chais@sh.itjust.works ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

      *farther

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  • devolution@lemmy.world ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

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  • db2@lemmy.world ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

    Not enough. Not nearly.

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    • Sunshine@lemmy.ca ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

      The article says Reddit isn’t protecting the privacy of children while contradicting itself by saying it lacks age verification. Which leads to user profiling and data breaches.

      arstechnica.com/…/discord-faces-backlash-over-age…

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  • MedicPigBabySaver@lemmy.world ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

    Fuck Reddit and Fuck Spez.

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  • vogi@piefed.social ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

    The headline is a bit misleading is not? There is no evidence of children’s data being used unlawfully. (I mean there might I don’t know what counts as “unlawful") This is just a fine for Reddit not to follow UKs dystopian ideas in time.

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    • echodot@feddit.uk ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

      They were relying on users to click I am definitely over 18. So there is by definition no possible way to know if children’s data was being misused except to the extent it obviously was.

      Age verification should have been a device side thing. I should be able to set up my kids phone / tablet with their date of birth and if they’re not old enough then they can’t access certain content. That way the only person who needs to verify the age of someone is me.

      My ISP shipped with age restriction on by default, (personally I think that’s a stupid default but that’s a separate issue), but although annoying it was easy to get rid of because I’m the account holder. I didn’t have to scan my ID though.

      Anyway we all know this has been nothing to do with kids anyway.

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    • General_Effort@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

      This is about GDPR. A German court recently made a similar judgment wrt TikTok, but that is being appealed.

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  • Didntdoit71@feddit.online ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

    Good. Bury reddit for protecting thdw pedophiles in the name of corporate greed.

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  • przemyslawowo@lemmy.zip ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

    I stopped. Kind got forced to but I’m happier for it lol

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  • Devilz3@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

    They perma banned me :( bunch of power tripping people over there

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    • echodot@feddit.uk ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

      Who, the government Reddit

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  • CaptainBasculin@lemmy.dbzer0.com ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

    This headline is about them not complying with age verification, which is something I’d agree with. Fuck reddit overall but not their fault in this regard

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  • Mwa@thelemmy.club ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

    thats why let your kids use reddit,make them burn money.
    but obv this should be the parents choice.

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