UK watchdog fines TikTok $16M for ‘misusing children’s data’

Britain’s information watchdog has stated it had fined TikTok $15.9
million for breaching information safety legislation together with by utilizing
the private information of kids aged below 13 with out parental
consent.

“There are laws in place to make sure our children are as safe in the digital world as they are in the physical world. TikTok did not abide by those laws,” UK Information Commissioner John Edwards stated on Tuesday.

Children’s information might have been used to trace and profile them, probably presenting them with dangerous or inappropriate content material, he added.

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) estimated that
TikTok allowed as many as 1.4 million UK kids below 13 to
use its platform in 2020, though it units 13 because the minimal
age to create an account.

The ICO stated the information breaches occurred between May 2018 and
July 2020, with the Chinese-owned video app not having finished
sufficient to test who was utilizing the platform and take away the
underage kids who had been.

READ MORE: Can governments regulate how kids entry social media

Fine decreased

A TikTok spokesperson stated the corporate disagreed with the
ICO’s choice however was happy the fantastic had been decreased from
the attainable $33.7 million set out by the ICO final yr.

“We make investments closely to assist maintain below 13s off the platform
and our 40,000-strong security workforce works across the clock to assist
maintain the platform secure for our neighborhood,” the spokesperson
stated.

“We will proceed to assessment the choice and are contemplating
subsequent steps.”

The ICO’s fantastic follows strikes by Western governments and
establishments in latest weeks, together with Britain, to bar the utilization of
TikTok on official gadgets over safety issues.

READ MORE:
Snapchat, TikTok and YouTube below hearth over baby security

Source: TRTWorld and companies