UK may fine TikTok $29 million for failing to protect children’s privacy

Following an inquiry that determined the short-form video app may have violated the UK’s data protection law by failing to protect the privacy of young users of the platform, Britain may punish TikTok 27 million pounds ($28.91 million).

According to the study, TikTok failed to give its users the necessary information in a clear manner and may have processed data of children under the age of 13 without getting the needed parental authorization.

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TikTok and TikTok Information Technologies UK Ltd have received a “notice of intent” from the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), the agency announced in a statement.

Information Commissioner John Edwards stated: “Companies providing digital services have legal need to put those protections in place, but our provisional opinion is that TikTok fell short of achieving that requirement.”
In response sent by email to Reuters, TikTok representative stated, “While we appreciate the ICO’s role in preserving privacy in the UK, we disagree with the preliminary opinions given and expect to formally react to the ICO in due course.”

According to the ICO’s preliminary assessment, TikTok violated UK data protection laws between May 2018 and July 2020.

 

A bill to raise the age at which children are granted special online privacy protections to 16 and to prohibit targeted advertising to children from businesses like TikTok and Snapchat (SNAP.N) was approved by the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee in July.

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