Imgur, one of the internet’s most popular image-sharing platforms, has pulled out of the United Kingdom after receiving notice of a potential fine from the country’s data protection regulator.
UK users attempting to access the site on Tuesday were met with an error message reading: “Content not available in your region.”
The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) launched an investigation earlier this year into how social media platforms, including Imgur, handle children’s data and safeguard minors’ privacy. Following provisional findings, the ICO informed Imgur’s parent company, MediaLab AI, that it intended to impose a monetary penalty.
In response, Imgur restricted access to its platform across the UK. The ICO said this was a “commercial decision taken by the company,” but stressed that leaving the UK does not absolve Imgur of potential penalties for any prior breaches of data protection laws.
“Our findings are provisional and the ICO will carefully consider any representations from MediaLab before taking a final decision whether to issue a monetary penalty,” said Tim Capel, interim executive director of regulatory supervision at the ICO.
Founded in 2009, Imgur rose to fame as Reddit’s primary image host and later developed into a standalone community platform. The site drew over 195 million visits globally in August, according to Semrush data.
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Imgur and MediaLab AI have not yet commented on the regulator’s findings or their decision to exit the UK market.
