According to the preliminary findings of an investigation by the British Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), video sharing app TikTok violated the Data Protection Act between May 2018 and July 2020.
The Watchman It says: If a fine equal to HUF 12.3 billion is imposed, it will be the largest in ICO history, surpassing the record amount of HUF 9.1 billion imposed on British Airways two years ago. Incidentally, the maximum fine that an ICO can charge is 4 percent of TikTok’s global annual trading volume.
There is a problem with parental consent
According to the regulatory authority’s initial position, TikTok can handle the data of children under the age of 13 without parental consent, has not provided enough information to users in a “concise, transparent and easy-to-understand manner”, and can handle private category data without the need for law. Justification:
- racial and ethnic origin,
- political opinion,
- religious belief,
- sexual orientation,
- organizational membership, as well
- Genetic, biometric or health data.
We all want children to be able to learn and experience the digital world, but with adequate data protection
Britain’s Information Commissioner, John Edwards, said regarding the case, adding: “Companies providing digital services have a legal obligation to provide this protection, but in their initial opinion, TikTok did not meet this requirement.”
The ICO recently stated that it had not yet decided whether there was a data protection law breach or whether a fine would be imposed. They emphasized, “All comments from TikTok will be carefully considered before a final decision is made.”
In its reaction, TikTok confirmed that it does not agree with the initial results of the ICO and will issue an official response refuting the findings of the investigation.
(Cover Image: Jab Arens/NoorPhoto/Getty Images)
