TikTok has been fined £12.7 million by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) for a number of data protection law violations, including failing to use children’s personal data lawfully, glamsquad reports
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According to the ICO, more than one million children under the age of 13 will be using TikTok in 2020, despite the fact that its terms of service prohibit it.
It went on to say that personal data belonging to those children was used without parental consent, and that the company did not do enough to check who was using the social media app and to take appropriate action to remove any underage children who were.
TikTok faced a £27 million fine, but the final figure was reduced to £12.7 million.
‘This fine may be well below what the ICO initially threatened, but it is still a significant penalty and one of the largest ever given by the ICO,’ said Ryan Gracey, partner and data privacy expert at law firm Gordons.
TikTok, according to Information Commissioner John Edwards, has violated laws designed to keep children as safe in the digital world as they are in the physical world.
‘As a result, an estimated one million under-13s were improperly granted access to the platform, with TikTok collecting and using their personal data,’ he said. That means their information could have been used to track and profile them, potentially delivering harmful or inappropriate content on their next scroll.
TikTok, according to Information Commissioner John Edwards, has violated laws designed to keep children as safe in the digital world as they are in the physical world.
‘As a result, an estimated one million under-13s were improperly granted access to the platform, with TikTok collecting and using their personal data,’ he said. That means their information could have been used to track and profile them, potentially delivering harmful or inappropriate content on their next scroll.
‘TikTok should have been smarter. TikTok could have performed better. Our £12.7 million fine reflects the serious consequences of their failures.’
He went on to say that children’s data could have been used to track and profile them, potentially exposing them to harmful or inappropriate content.
A TikTok spokesperson stated that the company disagreed with the ICO’s decision but was pleased that the fine had been reduced from the £27 million originally proposed by the ICO last year.
‘We invest heavily to keep under-13s off the platform, and our 40,000-strong safety team works around the clock to keep the platform safe for our community,’ said a spokesperson.
‘We will continue to review the decision and are considering next steps,’ says the company.
In accordance with the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act, TikTok’s Terms of Service state that users must be at least 13 years old to sign up for an account and have full access to the platform.
Mr. Gracey, a data privacy expert, commented on the fine, saying, ‘It’s another stark reminder that technology companies must take steps to protect personal data, particularly the data of children online.
‘In particular, businesses should be aware of the ICO’s statutory code of practice known as the Children’s Code, which establishes a set of standards that the ICO expects businesses to adhere to when designing and building online services that may be used by children.
‘The standards include using clear language in ‘bite-size’ chunks for children to tell them what they are doing with the user’s personal data, being open about the risks and safeguards involved, and letting the user know what to do if they are unhappy,’ says the website.
The ICO’s fine follows recent moves by Western governments and institutions, including the United Kingdom, to prohibit the use of TikTok on official devices due to security concerns.