Imgur

Image-hosting service Imgur is currently blocking UK users  from accessing its content. The move comes after regulators threatened to impose fines on the company.

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) is unhappy with how Imgur – and its parent company MediaLab – handles children’s data. The ICO had conducted investigations into various technology firms as it checked their compliance with online safety laws.

Imgur has long been home to a universe of GIFs but -- after many years of animated silence -- this is changing thanks to the arrival of video support.

This is a major change of direction for the company; something it recognizes and refers to as "a monumental shift for our future". At the moment, the uploading of videos is only available to iOS users, but there are plans to roll it out to other platforms as well. All platforms can currently view -- and hear -- videos.

While much of the US was celebrating Thanksgiving, social image hosting site Imgur was made aware of a security breach that took place back in 2014. Around 1.7 million user accounts were affected.

This is a relatively small percentage of Imgur users, and COO Roy Sehgal points out that the site has never asked for "personally-identifying information." Nevertheless, the company is contacting the owners of affected accounts, advising them to change their passwords.