TikTok Faces Massive €345 Million Fine Over Child Data Violations in E.U.
The Irish Data Protection Commission (DPC) has imposed a hefty fine of €345 million (approximately $368 million) on TikTok for its breach of the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in relation to the handling of children’s data . This investigation, initiated in September 2021, scrutinized how TikTok processed personal data concerning users aged between 13 and 17 during the period spanning from July 31 to December 31, 2020. Key findings from the investigation include: Default public visibility of content posted by child users, thereby exposing them to potential risks from any individuals, whether TikTok users or not. Failure to provide transparent information to child users. Utilization of dark patterns to guide users towards privacy-intrusive choices during registration and video posting. A vulnerability in the Family Sharing setting allowed non-child users to link their accounts with those of minors, enabling adult users to activate direct mes...