Reddit has seen a growth surge in the UK in recent years, with Ofcom ranking it as the 12th most visited site overall and fourth most visited social media platform in the UK in 2025.
When OSA age verification requirements took effect in July 2025, the platform limited the ability of users who had not verified their age to view parts of its services, including some user profiles and subreddits, containing adult material.
The ICO said it would continue to work closely with Ofcom, which enforces the OSA, to coordinate efforts to protect children and their data online.
Ofcom has recently fined several providers of porn sites it found to not have proper age checks in place to stop children accessing adult material.
It handed down its largest fine levied under the OSA to date on Monday.
Social media expert Matt Navarra told the BBC both organisations’ recent actions showed “the UK’s two regulator pincer movement coming into force”.
“You’ve got the ICO pushing children’s data and design expectations, and, in parallel, the UK’s wider online safety laws pushing the industry towards real age assurance as a baseline,” he said.
Navarra added the Reddit fine also marked a turning point in how it was seen and scrutinised by regulators.
“Reddit is being treated less like a quirky forum site and more like what it is – a social platform with major platform responsibilities.”