March 3 (Reuters) - Britain's privacy watchdog, the

Information Commissioner's Office, on Monday launched an

investigation into how TikTok, Reddit ( RDDT ) and online image

sharing website Imgur safeguard children's privacy.

Social media companies use complex algorithms to prioritise

content and keep users engaged. However, the fact that they

amplify similar content can lead to children being influenced by

increasing amounts of harmful material.

The watchdog said it is probing how ByteDance's short-form

video-sharing platform TikTok uses 13-17-year-olds' personal

information to suggest content in their feed.

Social media platform Reddit ( RDDT ) and Imgur are being investigated

over how they assess the age of their child users, it said.

"If we find there is sufficient evidence that any of these

companies have broken the law, we will put this to them and

obtain their representations before reaching a final

conclusion," the Information Commissioner's Office said in a

statement.

TikTok, Reddit ( RDDT ) and Imgur did not immediately respond to a

Reuters request for comment.

Britain has previously passed legislation that set tougher

rules for social media platforms, including a mandate for them

to prevent children from accessing harmful and age-inappropriate

content by enforcing age limits and age-checking measures.

Social media platforms including Facebook, Instagram and

TikTok are required to "tame" their algorithms to filter out or

downgrade harmful material to help protect children under

proposed British measures published last year.

(Reporting by Angela Christy and Mrinmay Dey in Bengaluru;

Editing by Lincoln Feast.)