TikTok to be fined after breaching child privacy regulations

TikTok is set to be fined after it was found to be in breach of EU data protection rules that protect the privacy of children on social media.

The social media giant was charged by the European Data Protection Board for violating regulations that stop platforms from processing childrens’ data.

TikTok has been under investigation in the EU since 2021, when concerns that the Chinese-owned company wasn’t in line with the law were first raised in Ireland.

TikTok could be fined more than £1 million by EU

The European Data Protection Board found that TikTok had breached the Digital Services Act, which prevents large social media platforms from overlooking criminal activity, and demands that they share data with authorities.

However, when TikTok performed a “voluntary stress test” to see if the company was behaving appropriately, the EU found that they were not fully compliant with EU law.

TikTok recently announced a wave of new features for European users that would bring the site in line with these restrictions. These new changes are set to be in place by the end of August.

TikTok had also previously been fined over £12 million in the UK for illegally processing data from children, some as young as 13. Time will tell if the company can clean up its act and behave responsibly.

For more news and updates on TikTok, check out the TikToker found guilty of murder after a fatal car chase.