ICO launches investigation into how platforms harvest UK children’s data

The news: The UK’s Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) launched an investigation last week into “how social media and video sharing platforms use children’s data” for targeted content, per an official blog post.

• The ICO is analyzing how TikTok uses 13-17 year olds’ data to recommend content and how platforms like Reddit and Imgur verify the age of child UK users.
• The investigation comes in light of mounting concerns over how these platforms are using data generated by children’s activity in recommendation systems, “which could lead to young people being served inappropriate or harmful content.”
• If any of the companies are found to have infringed on data protection legislation, the ICO will put this to them and obtain representations before coming to a conclusion.

Zooming out: The current regulatory push is supported by parents’ sentiment over how their children’s data is used.

• ICO research from February 2025 found that 42% of British parents feel they have no or little control over the information social media collects about their children.
• 80% believe that platforms need to be more transparent about how personal information is used to recommend content.
• This concern is even more prevalent among US adults, of which 73% feel a lack of control over how their data is used and nearly half don’t feel like they have a good understanding of how companies collect and use personal information.

Our take: Data harvesting is an ongoing issue—but advertisers can adopt a privacy-first approach that steps away from invasive data to remain successful without fracturing consumer trust.

• Brands can move beyond reliance on third-party cookies and instead shift to contextual advertising approaches that don’t rely heavily on personal data.
• Advertisers should prioritize clear opt-out features and keep their data collection practices transparent.
• Preparing for stricter regulations is crucial—especially with a looming cookieless future.