Imgur, one of the internet’s most popular image sharing and hosting platforms, has shut off access to its site for users in the United Kingdom. This action follows a notice of a potential fine from the country’s data protection authority.
Users in the U.K. attempting to visit Imgur are now met with an error message stating that the content is not available in their region. This block was implemented after the Information Commissioner’s Office reached provisional findings in an investigation.
The investigation, launched in March, looked into how various social media platforms, including Imgur, use children’s data and protect the privacy of minors. The regulator notified Imgur’s parent company, MediaLab AI, earlier this month of its intent to impose a fine. The ICO stated that Imgur’s decision to restrict access was a commercial one made by the company.
The ICO’s findings are provisional, and the regulator will consider any representations from MediaLab before making a final decision on a monetary penalty. Officials have been clear that leaving the UK does not allow an organization to avoid responsibility for any prior infringement of data protection law, and the investigation remains ongoing. The ICO provided this update to give clarity and stated it will not offer further detail at this time.
Imgur and its parent company MediaLab AI did not immediately return a request for comment.
Founded in 2009, Imgur quickly rose to prominence as Reddit’s favored image hosting service and has since grown into a massive community of its own. The site received more than 195 million visits in the month of August.