Privacy & Cybersecurity Law Blog

On February 5, 2026, the UK Information Commissioner’s Office (“ICO”) announced a £247,590 fine against MediaLab.AI, Inc. (“MediaLab”), the company behind the image-sharing platform Imgur, for failing to lawfully process children’s personal information.

The ICO determined that MediaLab had permitted children to use Imgur without implementing basic safeguards required under UK data protection law, and had processed the personal information of children in ways that breached the UK GDPR between September 2021 and September 2025.

Key failings identified by the ICO included:

• Processing of children’s data without parental consent or another lawful basis;
• Lack of any age verification measures; and
• Failure to conduct a data protection impact assessment to identify and reduce privacy risks to children.

In determining the penalty amount, the ICO considered MediaLab’s acceptance of the provisional findings and its commitment to address the infringements if access to Imgur from the UK is restored. The ICO also took into account the number of children affected, the potential harm, the duration of the contraventions and MediaLab’s global turnover. The ICO indicated that, should MediaLab resume processing children’s data in the UK without implementing the required measures, further regulatory action may follow.

Read the ICO’s press release here.