The UK can no longer view content on Imgur, the popular online image-hosting site.
MediaLab, the site’s US-based owners, have geo-blocked the country rather than agree to regulatory requests to improve privacy protections for users who are under 18.
Brits who visit the Imgur website, click a link to view an image hosted on Imgur, or load a web page with an Imgur embed in it see a “content not available in your region” notice.
Curious as to why?
Why Imgur isn’t Available in the UK
The UK Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has been investigating Imgur (and other social media companies) over their handling of account and privacy protections for British users under the age of 18.
Social media sites like X, Instagram and YouTube follow strict data privacy rules for users under 18, but Imgur doesn’t want to
Children’s Code is part of the UK’s implementation of GDPR. It requires online services to use the strongest privacy settings for users under 18, and to not sell any data it collects on them to third-parties for personalised ad serving.
The code also requires that privacy policies and related privacy controls that children are subject to are explained to them in way that is easily understandable.
The use of ‘dark patterns’ to trick users into choosing settings that cede their privacy is also forbidden.
For tech companies who flout the rules in the UK, the ICO has the power to impose fines via the GPDR and UK Data Protection Act. On 10 September 2025 the ICO says it “issued a notice of intent to impose a monetary penalty on MediaLab”.
Emphasis is mine on “notice of intent” there, The ICO has threatened to fine Imgur/MediaLab if it doesn’t tighten its privacy protections for child users on Imgur per its guidelines, but it hasn’t formally done so.
Many of the web’s biggest social media sites, including X, Facebook and Instagram follow the code. They ask users during sign up if they’re under 18 and, if so, use safeguards so they don’t use children’s personal data the same way they do for adults.
Imgur, it seems, is not keen to do the same.
The ICO’s exact findings from its investigation into Imgur are not public. The regulator says it has invited MediaLab to discuss ways to mediate their conners over data privacy. Instead, MediaLab has chosen to pull the plug on access to Imgur to the UK entirely.
We are aware of reports that the social media platform Imgur is currently not available in the UK. Imgur’s decision to restrict access in the UK is a commercial decision taken by the company.
ICO
They regulators add that they have “…been clear that exiting the UK does not allow an organisation to avoid responsibility for any prior infringement of data protection law, and our investigation remains ongoing.
I’d be amazed if the ICO and MediaLab can’t come to an agreement in the near future. It’s not uncommon for tech platforms to play hardball with regulators in an effort to get their own way, threatening (in this case, actually choosing) to withdraw access.
The idea is people will be more concerned at not being able to access the service, than the reasons why they can’t. Ergo, agitprop public sentiment against sovereign oversight.
What’s this got to do with Ubuntu?
Imgur being unavailable in the UK has nothing to do with Ubuntu, broadly speaking — no more than any online service.
However, there are a number of apps and tools for Ubuntu — Gradia added Imgur upload support in July — which can upload or fetch content from it.
Thus, Ubuntu users in the UK who use those apps may be minded to report a bug, when it’s not the app’s fault.
Hence this PSA.
(Besides which, I once wrote an article about cats who love Linux because I was feline punny. Never underestimate my ability to find a scant hook on which to hang content I’ve just-enough residual caffeine in my bloodstream to haphazardly bother my keyboard over).
tl;dr this is GDPR related
The Children’s Code is not the same thing as the Online Safety Act, which many around the world will have heard about given the contentious nature of its ‘age verification’ element. The code is about data and privacy protections – a child-centric GDPR.
I say this because I don’t like veering political, but many will see “Imgur not available” and assume that Imgur is a victim of some zealous censorship over memes and GIFs.
Asking big tech companies to not collect and sell personal data on users aged 13-17 is not (for those primed to yell it down in the comments section) about “censorship”.
The ICO fined TikTok more than £12 million for misusing data from children’s accounts, and the short-form video platform remains under investigation for further lapses. Fines are warnings to other big-tech companies that it’s FAFO1 when it comes to data protection.
- The ‘find’ in FAFO being spelt ‘fined’, natch. ↩︎