Security News > 2023 > April > UK data watchdog fines TikTok £12.7M for failing to protect kids

Fresh off the back of an embarrassing "Grilling" by US Congress on national security grounds, TikTok has received a more concrete reprimand from the UK's Information Commissioner's Office - a fine of £12.7 million for "Misusing children's data."

Despite TikTok's own rules disallowing children under the age of 13, the video-sharing app's whirlwind success has meant that some 1.4 million kids in the UK used it in 2020 by the ICO's estimates.

The ICO accused TikTok of failing to carry out adequate checks to identify and remove under-aged kids from the platform.

During its investigation, the ICO cited internal concerns among senior employees that children under 13 were not being removed, and the watchdog deemed TikTok's response inadequate.

"As a consequence, an estimated one million under-13s were inappropriately granted access to the platform, with TikTok collecting and using their personal data. That means that their data may have been used to track them and profile them, potentially delivering harmful, inappropriate content at their very next scroll."

"TikTok should have known better. TikTok should have done better. Our £12.7m fine reflects the serious impact their failures may have had. They did not do enough to check who was using their platform or take sufficient action to remove the underage children that were using their platform."

News URL

https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2023/04/04/uk_watchdog_fines_tiktok/