TikTok, the popular video-sharing platform, has been fined $379 million by the Irish Data Protection Commission (DPC) for violating the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
The DPC also ordered TikTok to revamp its Data Processing Practices (DPP) and make sure that they meet GDPR standards within three months.
The DPC’s investigation found that TikTok had violated eight articles of the GDPR, including: Failing to obtain consent from parents or guardians before processing the personal data of children under the age of 13. Failing to provide clear and transparent information to users about how their data is being processed. Failing to implement adequate technical and organizational measures to protect the personal data of users, especially children.
One of the specific concerns raised by the DPC was TikTok’s “Family Pairing” feature, which allowed child accounts to be “paired” with unverified non-child users. The DPC found that TikTok had failed to adequately verify that the adult user in the “Family Pairing” relationship was actually the child’s parent or guardian.
Another concern raised by the DPC was the default privacy settings for TikTok accounts. The DPC found that the default settings allowed anyone, both within and outside TikTok, to view content posted by underage users.
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The DPC found that TikTok had failed to implement adequate technical and organizational measures to protect the privacy of underage users. The DPC’s fine against TikTok is the largest GDPR fine ever issued.
The DPC’s investigation into TikTok is part of a broader trend of increased scrutiny of social media platforms over their handling of children’s data. In recent months, other social media platforms, such as Instagram and Meta, have also been fined for violating GDPR rules related to child safety.
