TikTok Fined £12.7Million by UK Regulator Over Child Safety Data Reporting

The popular social media platform TikTok has been fined £12.7 million by the UK's Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) for failing to protect children's privacy and inadequately reporting child safety data.

The ICO's investigation found that TikTok had allowed millions of children under the age of 13 to use the platform without parental consent, in breach of UK data protection laws.

The fine follows a comprehensive investigation by the ICO, which revealed that TikTok not only failed to obtain proper consent from parents or guardians for users under 13 but also lacked transparency in informing users about how their data would be utilised.

This deficiency in transparency and age verification raised significant concerns about the safety and privacy of young users on the platform.

TikTok, owned by the Chinese company ByteDance, has faced global scrutiny over its data privacy practices, particularly regarding younger users.In response to the fine, TikTok expressed disappointment but recognised the need for improvement.

A spokesperson for the company said, "We are committed to ensuring our platform is safe for all users, especially our younger audience. We have made significant changes over the past year to enhance age verification and parental controls."

The ICO's decision comes amid increasing regulatory scrutiny of social media platforms worldwide, with governments and regulators calling for stricter measures to protect user data, especially for vulnerable groups such as children.

The UK government is currently working on the Online Safety Bill, which aims to establish clear legal responsibilities for digital platforms to safeguard users from harmful content.

As digital platforms continue to expand their reach, ensuring the safety and privacy of all users, particularly children, remains a top priority for regulators and lawmakers globally.

The fine against TikTok serves as a stark reminder of the need for robust data protection measures in the digital age.