TikTok: A Pricey Lesson in Child Protection

• TikTok

In a landmark ruling, a central European tech regulator, the Irish Data Protection Commission (DPC), has slapped a massive $368 million (€345 million) fine on popular social media platform TikTok. The app was found guilty of failing to safeguard children's privacy adequately, violating the European Union's stringent privacy laws.

The DPC's investigation into TikTok's practices revealed that the app's default settings did not protect children's accounts during the latter half of 2020. It was found that new profiles created for children were set to public by default. Anyone with internet access could view these profiles, exposing children to potential risks.

"In the digital age, child safety is paramount. This hefty fine for TikTok sends a strong message to social media platforms about the importance of safeguarding young users."

A Closer Look at the Violations

The DPC highlighted that TikTok did not disclose privacy risks to its young users and utilized "dark patterns" to encourage them to share more personal information. Additionally, the DPC identified a flaw in TikTok's Family Pairing feature, which is meant to be a parental control tool. The part did not require verification of the adult linked to the child's account as the parent or guardian, leaving room for any adult to manipulate the child's privacy settings. The Family Pairing feature, launched in April 2020, allowed adults to manage screen time, limit direct messaging, and restrict unwanted content. Still, the lack of a proper verification process posed a significant risk.

TikTok's Response and Remedial Measures

Following the ruling, TikTok has been given three months to rectify its violations. TikTok, however, waited to respond to the request for comment.

In a blog post, the company stated that it "respectfully" disagreed with several aspects of the ruling. TikTok's European privacy chief, Elaine Fox, wrote, "Most of the decision’s criticisms are no longer relevant due to measures we introduced at the start of 2021."

According to Fox, TikTok made significant changes in early 2021. These included setting new and existing accounts of users aged 13 to 15 to private by default. Fox also mentioned that by the end of the month, TikTok plans to roll out a redesigned account registration process for new 16- and 17-year-old users, defaulting to private settings.

While TikTok did not confirm plans to verify an adult’s relationship to a child in Family Pairing, it mentioned that the feature had been enhanced with new options and tools. TikTok also noted that none of the regulator’s findings concluded that its age verification measures violated EU privacy law.

This is not the first time TikTok has faced such fines. In April, the company was fined in the United Kingdom for multiple breaches of data protection law, including the misuse of children’s data.

This case is a sharp reminder for all social media platforms about their responsibility to protect younger users. It also highlights the need for users, especially parents and guardians, to familiarize themselves with these platforms' privacy settings and safeguards.