TikTok has been fined £12.7m by the UK’s data watchdog for failing to protect the privacy of children.
An investigation by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) found the video-sharing site used the data of children aged under 13 without parental consent.
It estimated TikTok allowed up to 1.4 million UK children of this age to use the platform in 2020.
TikTok said it had “invested heavily” to stop under-13s accessing the site.
“Our 40,000-strong safety team works around the clock to help keep the platform safe for our community,” a spokesperson said.
“While we disagree with the ICO’s decision, which relates to May 2018 – July 2020, we are pleased that the fine announced today has been reduced to under half the amount proposed last year. We will continue to review the decision and are considering next steps.”
Despite TikTok’s rules requiring children under 13 to have parental consent to use the platform, the ICO said many were able to set up accounts without this.
It is one of the largest fines the ICO has issued.
Prof Sonia Livingstone, who researches children’s digital rights and experiences at the London School of Economics and Political Science, told the BBC it was “great the ICO is taking action”, but feared the fine amount could be “shrugged off as the cost of doing business”.”Let’s hope TikTok reviews its practices thoroughly and make sure that it respects children’s privacy and safety proactively in the future,” she said.
‘Inappropriate access’
In September, the watchdog issued TikTok with a “notice of intent” – a precursor to handing down a potential fine.
Information commissioner John Edwards said: “There are laws in place to make sure our children are as safe in the digital world as they are in the physical world. TikTok did not abide by those laws.
“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.”
A few weeks ago I sat drinking tea in the cosy kitchen of a father-of-three who was trying to take on YouTube for this very reason.
Campaigner Duncan McCann wanted the ICO to act because, he claimed, the video-sharing platform was violating the regulator’s own Children’s Code, which demands high levels of data privacy for children by default.
It means not collecting their data and using it to serve them ads or recommendations, and not encouraging them to share more data through enticing design features.
The type of data ranges from their activity on the platforms, and elsewhere on the net, to personal information about them such as their location and the device they are using.
Mr McCann said it was like having an adult standing behind them with a clipboard, writing down everything they do.
Like TikTok, YouTube is supposed to be for children aged 13 and over, but if you have any younger children in your life, you’ll almost certainly find that if they’re not using the platforms, they have friends who are.
Both firms say they are doing everything they can to protect children online and provide a safe experience.
TikTok’s fine is for activity which pre-dates the introduction of the code in 2020, for which the penalties can be high, although no firm has so far been found to be in breach. And the UK Online Safety Bill, due to be passed in the coming months, requires strict age verification processes by social networks, some of whom, like Instagram, are already beginning to implement them.
Hitting wealthy tech firms in the pocket with big fines seems to be the authorities’ preferred deterrent – but while £12.7m is not a fine you or I would like to receive in the post, TikTok’s parent company ByteDance is reported to have made $80bn in revenue in 2022.
With the platform already under global scrutiny over security concerns, this is undoubtedly a blow it could do without, but it’s not going to make a big dent in its finances as things stand.
TikTok is allowed to appeal against the scale of the fine and has 28 days to make representations. If successful, the ICO could reduce the final amount.
The regulator has a maximum of 16 weeks, from issuing the notice of a proposed fine to delivering its final verdict.
Fines received by the ICO go back to the Treasury.
Trouble for TikTok
Many Western countries are taking measures against TikTok, which is owned by Bytedance, a Chinese tech company – over fears users’ data will be shared with the Chinese government.
The app has been banned on government devices in Canada, Belgium, Denmark, New Zealand, Taiwan, the UK, the US and for anyone working at the European Commission.
TikTok boss Shou Zi Chew was grilled in Congress over its safety and tried to reassure lawmakers that users’ data is secure.
The BBC has advised staff to delete TikTok from corporate phones.
Source – BBC News
Share your thoughts