UK investigating video-sharing app TIkTok for how it handles children’s personal data

LONDON July 5: The United Kingdom is investigating video-sharing app TIkTok for how it handles children’s personal data, and whether it prioritises the safety of children on its platform, the Guardian reported.

The investigation began in February and was prompted by the $5.7 million fine that US’s Federal Trade Commission (FTC) levied on TikTok, Elizabeth Denham, the UK Information Commissioner, told a parliamentary committee.

TikTok had been penalised by FTC for illegally collecting personal information of children below 13 years of age without parental consent.

In addition to concerns about how TikTok collected private data, the platform’s open messaging system, which allows any adult to message any child is also an issue, Denham said.

TikTok might even be in violation of GDPR, the European Union’s data protection law, which “requires the company to provide different services and different protections for children”.

If the company is found to have violated GDPR, it could be fined up to €20 million (approximately ₹155.3 crore), or 4% of its revenue, whichever is higher.

Since ByteDance is a private company, its revenue is not disclosed, but it is valued at $75 billion, the Guardian report said.