TikTok Fined Over $360 Million for Failing to Protect Children's Privacy
| TikTok Fined Over $360 Million for Failing to Protect Children's Privacy | |
|---|---|
| Short Title | TikTok Fined Over $360 Million for Failing to Protect Children's Privacy |
| Location | |
| Date | 15th September 2023 |
| Solove Harm | Increased Accessibility |
| Information | Account, Social Media Account Information |
| Threat Actors | TikTok |
| Individuals | |
| Affected | Child users of TikTok |
| High Risk Groups | Children and adolescents, Children who are unaware of the risks of sharing personal information online |
| Tangible Harms | Lack of Consent, Loss of Privacy |
The famous social media network TikTok has suffered its first official fine from the European Union for violating privacy protection regulations of children and adolescent app users.
Description
TikTok has been fined €345 million ($368 million) by European regulators, marking the first penalty for the popular short video-sharing app for breaching Europe's strict data privacy rules. The Irish Data Protection Commission, the lead privacy regulator for major tech companies in Europe, imposed the fine, citing violations related to the privacy of children. The investigation revealed that the sign-up process for teen users defaulted to public settings which, in turn, exposes their accounts to anyone. This appears to be an instance of Increased Accessibility of potential names, locations, and other identifying information about the kids. Additionally, a parental control feature was found to be insufficient, allowing adults to enable direct messaging for users aged 16 and 17 without consent. TikTok disagreed with the decision, emphasizing that it had already implemented changes before the investigation began. The Irish regulator has faced criticism for the pace of its investigations into Big Tech companies, and further inquiries are ongoing, including one examining TikTok's compliance with the [General Data Protection Regulation] in transferring user data to China.
Laws and Regulations
EU's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)
Sources
[https://www.usnews.com/news/business/articles/2023-09-15/tiktok-is-hit-with-368-million-fine-under-europes-strict-data-privacy-rules%0Ahttps://gdpr-info.eu/ https://www.usnews.com/news/business/articles/2023-09-15/tiktok-is-hit-with-368-million-fine-under-europes-strict-data-privacy-rules https://gdpr-info.eu/]