The data watchdog for Britain announced on Tuesday that TikTok had been fined 12.7 million pounds ($15.9 million) for violating the country’s data protection laws. This included using the personal information of children under the age of 13 without their parents’ permission.
Although TikTok requires users to be at least 13 to create an account, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) estimated that the app permitted up to 1.4 million UK children under 13 to use its platform in 2020.
According to the ICO, the data leaks happened between May 2018 and July 2020, and the Chinese-owned video app did not take enough precautions to screen users and block any minors who were present.
There are laws in place to guarantee that our kids are just as secure online as they are offline. UK Information Commissioner John Edwards said TikTok did not follow these rules.
He went on to say that it’s possible that children’s data was used to track and profile them, possibly exposing them to harmful or inappropriate material.
Although the business disagreed with the ICO’s decision, a TikTok spokesperson expressed satisfaction that the fine had been decreased from the potential 27 million pounds the ICO had set last year.
The spokesperson stated, “We invest significantly to help keep children under the age of 13 off the platform, and our 40,000-strong safety team works around the clock to help keep the platform safe for our community.
“We invest heavily to help keep under 13s off the platform, and our 40,000 strong safety team works around the clock to help keep the platform safe for our community,” the spokesperson said.
“We will continue to review the decision and are considering next steps.”
Following recent steps by Western governments and institutions, including Britain, to forbid use of TikTok on official devices due to security concerns, the ICO has imposed a fine.
