Imgur Pulls Out Of Uk After Data Regulator Warns Of Fines

Imgur, 1 of nan web’s astir celebrated image sharing and hosting platforms, has unopen disconnected entree to its tract to users successful nan United Kingdom, pursuing a announcement of a good by nan country’s information protection watchdog.

According to reports connected societal media, users attempting to load Imgur from nan U.K. are met pinch an correction connection that says: “Content not disposable successful your region.”

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) successful March had launched an investigation into various societal media platforms, including Imgur, looking astatine really they usage children’s data, and protect nan privateness of minors successful nan country.

The regulator said connected Tuesday that it had reached provisional findings successful nan investigation, and had notified Imgur’s genitor company, MediaLab AI, earlier this period that it intended to enforce a fine. The regulator said Imgur’s determination to restrict entree successful nan state was a “commercial determination taken by nan company.”

“Our findings are provisional and nan ICO will cautiously see immoderate representations from MediaLab earlier taking a last determination whether to rumor a monetary penalty,” Tim Capel, interim executive head of regulatory supervision astatine nan ICO, said successful a statement. “We person been clear that exiting nan UK does not let an organisation to debar work for immoderate anterior infringement of information protection law, and our investigation remains ongoing.”

The ICO said its update was provided to “give clarity connected our investigation, and we will not beryllium providing immoderate further item astatine this time.”

Imgur and its genitor institution MediaLab AI did not instantly return a petition for comment.

Founded successful 2009, Imgur quickly roseate to prominence arsenic Reddit’s favored image hosting service, and coming has a monolithic organization of its own. The tract had much than 195 cardinal visits successful August, per Semrush.