TikTok Faces €345 Million Fine Over Child Data Processing
Dublin, Ireland – In a significant development, TikTok has been slapped with a hefty €345 million fine by Ireland’s Data Protection Commission (DPC) following an extensive investigation into the platform’s handling of children’s data. The probe specifically delved into privacy settings and features, evaluating their compliance with the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). TikTok Technology Limited (TTL), the entity in question, expressed its disagreement with the fine, citing that the issues in question pertained to features and settings implemented three years ago.
Privacy Concerns Resurface
The DPC’s inquiry revolved around two key aspects: age verification during registration and the processing of personal data belonging to children on the Chinese-owned video-sharing platform. It encompassed the period from July 31 to December 31, 2020.
One striking revelation from the DPC’s findings was that child users were, by default, placed on a public setting. This meant that any videos posted by these young users were automatically made public, and comments were enabled for public viewing as well. Additionally, the Family Pairing feature allowed child accounts to be “paired” with unverified non-child accounts, potentially compromising the platform’s security measures for younger users above the age of 16.
Transparency Concerns and Sanctions
The DPC’s investigation extended to examining TTL’s transparency obligations, especially in regard to the information provided to child users about default settings. In response to its findings, the DPC not only issued a reprimand but also ordered TTL to take specific actions within three months to bring its data processing practices into compliance. Furthermore, it imposed administrative fines totaling a staggering €345 million.
In a statement, a TikTok spokesperson expressed their respectful disagreement with the DPC’s decision, emphasizing that the issues raised pertained to features that had been addressed and changed long before the investigation commenced. The platform stated that it had already taken steps to set all accounts belonging to users under 16 to private by default.
A Pattern of Fines
This substantial fine marks the latest in a series of penalties imposed by the DPC on social media giants operating in Ireland. Notably, earlier this year, Meta Ireland, Facebook’s parent company, faced a €390 million fine for breaches of EU data privacy regulations. WhatsApp was also fined over five million euros in January for data protection violations, while Instagram was hit with a €405 million fine last year concerning its handling of teenagers’ personal data.
Across the pond in the United Kingdom, the Information Commissioner’s Office imposed a £12.7 million fine on TikTok earlier this year. The reason cited was the platform’s alleged failure to adequately ensure that underage children were not using its services and that their data was being handled appropriately.
As the dust settles on this latest penalty, it remains to be seen how TikTok will respond to the DPC’s directives and whether further changes will be made to safeguard the privacy of its young users. The evolving landscape of data protection and privacy regulations continues to shape the actions and accountability of social media platforms worldwide.
