TikTok Could Be Fined By The EU For Breaching Child Privacy Laws

Social media app TikTok may soon be facing the consequences of a brutal investigation by the EU that may end up in the imposition of a hefty fine.

The news comes after the tech giant was reportedly said to be involved in violating privacy laws linked to children.

This was published by the Guardian today who explained how the regulator first began the investigation two years back against the firm. And now that it has made way for the conclusion, we are hearing more about the adoption of a decision that would serve to resolve the dispute. And the only way out appears to be a major fine.

While TikTok did object to the clause legally, it’s mindblowing how those between the ages of 13 to 17 were being dealt with on the platform, including how their data was getting handled. Right after that investigation, we saw the regulator highlight how TikTok went against the law's full throttle.

In the past month, the app said yes to a test conducted in Ireland where it did agree but the EU didn’t happen with the way the platform was behaving.

It added how the app was too busy dedicating a pile of resources to achieve compliance but right now, it’s high time it was compliant to the laws outlined.

The investigation came to an end in no time and then we saw the app boldly declare that it would be rolling out new offers that would be more in line with the DSA by the EU. Moreover, the company added how it was pulling up its sleeves and raising the bar by incorporating innovative solutions.

The last decision came just a few months after the platform was struck with a staggering $15 million fine from the United Kingdom after it went against its own terms of service. And by that time, the country’s Information Commissioner said the app allowed 1.4 million children below 13 to gain access to different apps on social media.

The company has been under the radar for quite some time now, especially when it comes to different nations and firms putting a ban on the platform through phones. This is done to provide protection of confidential data.

Most recently, the American state of Montana was called out as the first to enforce a complete ban on TikTok for its citizens. But that did not go down quite well with users who sued the government for placing a ban on the platform, adding how it went against their fundamental rights of speech.

We saw India put out a ban in the recent past that had to do with apps hailing from China and TikTok was a part of that list. This ban started to come into play in 2020 and since then, it’s going strong.

So as you can see, TikTok is constantly being scrutinized and this new investigation and fine imposition by the EU is another example of just that.

Read next: 74 Percent of Americans Say TikTok is Addictive
by Dr. Hura Anwar via Digital Information World