TikTok fined over $16 million for data breach in UK

The UK’s Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) fined the Chinese app on Tuesday. TikTok with 12.7 million pounds (15.88 million dollars) for a series of breaches against the data protection law.

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Among the offenses is the illegal use of personal data of minorsadded the aforementioned office, which is the independent British regulator on data protection.

The ICO estimates that TikTok allowed up to 1.4 million children under 13 in the UK to use its platform in 2020despite the fact that its own rules do not allow minors to create their own accounts.

British data protection law requires that organizations using personal data when providing information services to children under 13 must have the consent of their parents or guardians, the ICO says in a statement, stating that TikTok didn’t do it even though it should have known the little ones were using the platform.

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In addition, ICO stresses that TikTok also did not carry out adequate controls to identify minors on its platform.

ICO head John Edwards said there are laws to “ensuring that our children are as safe in the digital world as they are in the physical world. TikTok did not comply with those laws.”

“Due, an estimated one million children under the age of 13 were granted inappropriate access to the platform, and TikTok collected and used your personal data. That means your data may have been used to track you,” which “could lead to harmful and inappropriate content.”he added.

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“Our fine of 12.7 million,” he said, “reflects the serious impact that their rulings could have. They didn’t do enough to verify who was using their platform nor did they take sufficient steps to remove underage children who were using it.”.

The fine is known after the British Government banned in march the installation of TikTok on official mobiles for security reasons.

The conservative Executive of Rishi Suank indicated that he had taken the measure taking into account that official mobiles may contain sensitive information, although the ban does not affect the personal telephones of members of the Executive.

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With that decision, the UK joined other countries, including the US and Canada, as well as the European Union (EU), in banning TikTokowned by the Chinese company ByteDance, on the corporate devices of its employees.

TikTok denies that it facilitates the Chinese government’s access to its users’ data.

Source: Elcomercio

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