TikTok could face £27 million fine by UK Govt for 'failing to protect children's privacy'

Short video sharing platform TikTok could face a fine of £27 million (Rs 2,37,99,60,090) in the United Kingdom. The UK Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) in a statement announced that their investigation has found that TikTok could have breached Britain's data protection law by "failing to protect children's privacy" while using the platform. The ICO has issued a "notice of intent" to TikTok Inc and TikTok Information Technologies UK Limited (‘TikTok’), which is a legal document that is issued before the imposition of a potential fine. 

According to the statement, the ICO investigation has found that TikTok might have processed the data of children who were below the age of 13 without the appropriate consent of parents. In addition, the ICO found that the video sharing platform did not provide information regarding users in a "concise, transparent and easily understood way." TikTok processed "special category data" without having legal permission to take such action. In the statement, the UK Information Commissioner's Office noted that the findings in the notice are "provisional." The UK Information Commissioner's Office stated that "no conclusion" regarding the matter should be made at this stage.

ICO to 'carefully' consider representations made by TikTok

The ICO in the statement said, "The Commissioner’s findings in the notice are provisional. No conclusion should be drawn at this stage that there has, in fact, been any breach of data protection law or that a financial penalty will ultimately be imposed." It further stated that they will "carefully" consider any representations made by TikTok before making a final decision.

John Edwards, UK's Information Commissioner, in the statement said that they want all the children to learn and experience the digital world, however, they want to ensure "proper data privacy protections."

Edwards stressed that companies providing digital services have legal duty to keep protections in place and noted that they are working to better protect children online by working with organisations and taking enforcement action when necessary. Edwards further said, "we are currently looking into how over 50 different online services are conforming with the Children’s code and have six ongoing investigations looking into companies providing digital services who haven’t, in our initial view, taken their responsibilities around child safety seriously enough.”

"We all want children to be able to learn and experience the digital world, but with proper data privacy protections. Companies providing digital services have a legal duty to put those protections in place, but our provisional view is that TikTok fell short of meeting that requirement," he added.

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