Well, this is another big oof – TikTok, for some reason, has recently incurred a $15.9 million (£12,700,000 million) fine in the UK for allowing underage children access and use the app. Well, we understand that that is a concern, but still, a fine this big for that alone?

As per the UK Information Commissioner:

“ICO has issued a £12,700,000 fine to TikTok Information Technologies UK Limited and TikTok Inc (TikTok) for a number of breaches of data protection law, including failing to use children’s personal data lawfully. The ICO estimates that TikTok allowed up to 1.4 million UK children under 13 to use its platform in 2020, despite its own rules not allowing children that age to create an account.”

That’s Fine

This fine is the first major issuance under new British rules designed to protect minors online. British regulators alerted TikTok to the investigation last September when it also called on the app to improve its processes to ensure compliance with the updated rules. At the same time, the fine was around £27,000, so it has been reduced significantly.

Today’s announcement marks the investigation’s conclusion, with the ICO aiming to set a precedent with its action. It’s a significant penalty, which is a lot higher than the fine it received for similar violations in the US. Back in 2019, TikTok was fined $5.7 million for collecting data on underage Americans who accessed the platform, without parental consent. From that penalty, TikTok implemented new rules that now require all users to verify their age – those under 13 are now redirected to a separate, more restricted in-app experience, which limits who can view and comment on their clips, as well as who can send them DM.

Evidently, however, that hasn’t really stopped many young users from signing up for the app. Since then, TikTok has added more tools and detection processes to better address this element. However, retrospective breaches are still punishable, which means that TikTok will still have to pay the latest fine. This remains a critical area of concern, given the app’s popularity and whatnot.

The Wrap

Internal data published by The New York Times back in 2020 showed that around ⅓ of TikTok’s user base is aged 14 or under, and while that may have shifted since, it still highlights the scope of the potential problem on this front. TikTok has already faced several troubles over such an element, which has even seen it suffer temporary bans in certain regions, thanks to its content.

Given the problem’s potential scale, and risk of exposure in the app, extra/updated enforcement options do make sense. While TikTok continues to work on improving its systems, there does need to be a set level of significance placed on this element, to ensure greater future compliance.

Sources

http://bit.ly/3KE8g6d