Cyber Crime
TikTok Fined £12.7M For Failing To Protect Underage Users in The UK
NEW DELHI: The UK’s data protection watchdog, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), has fined TikTok £12.7 million ($15.6 million) for failing to protect 1.4 million UK children under the age of 13 from accessing its platform in 2020.
The ICO found that the popular video-sharing app used children’s data without parental consent and may have used it for tracking and profiling purposes. Additionally, TikTok may have presented children with content that was deemed potentially harmful or inappropriate.
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John Edwards, information commissioner for the ICO, stated that there are laws in place to ensure that children are as safe in the digital world as they are in the physical world. He added that TikTok did not abide by those laws and should have done better. Edwards further explained that TikTok had taken no steps to obtain parents’ consent.
In response to the fine, a spokesperson for TikTok stated that the company invests heavily to keep under-13s off the platform and has a 40,000-strong safety team that works around the clock to keep the platform safe. The company is reviewing the decision and considering next steps.
Prof Sonia Livingstone, a researcher at the London School of Economics and Political Science, said that she was pleased the ICO had taken action against TikTok but was concerned that the fine could be “shrugged off as the cost of doing business.” She urged TikTok to review its practices and ensure that it respects children’s privacy and safety proactively in the future.
TikTok has 28 days to appeal the fine. The ICO’s decision is a reminder that companies must take their obligations under data protection laws seriously, especially when it comes to protecting children.
It must be noted that the Indian government had expressed concerns that TikTok and other Chinese apps were engaging in activities that could compromise the data privacy and security of Indian citizens. There were reports that TikTok, in particular, was collecting user data and sharing it with the Chinese government, which the company has denied.
However, the Indian government remained unconvinced and cited these concerns as one of the reasons for the ban. The government had also previously warned TikTok about the collection and misuse of user data, and the ban was seen as a way to send a strong message to the company and other Chinese tech firms. The ban on TikTok and other Chinese apps was a significant move by India in its efforts to protect its data sovereignty and security.
TikTok has faced scrutiny and raised security concerns from various countries around the world. In addition to India, the app has also been banned or restricted in other countries, including the United States, Australia, and Pakistan.
The United States has been particularly vocal in its concerns about TikTok’s data privacy and security, with former President Donald Trump seeking to ban the app over fears that it could share user data with the Chinese government. The ban was later halted after TikTok filed a lawsuit, but the concerns remain, with the US government continuing to investigate the company.
Australia has also expressed concerns about the app’s data collection and sharing practices, and the country’s defense department has banned its personnel from using TikTok on government devices. Pakistan has also banned TikTok on several occasions over concerns about the app’s content, including “immoral and indecent” content. While TikTok has maintained that it takes user data privacy and security seriously, it continues to face scrutiny and regulatory challenges in various countries around the world.
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