TikTok is a multi-faceted network. On the one hand, there is a lot of humor content, a lot of new influencer who has stood out for starting smiles and diverse dances that help to find the rhythm, but there is also a lot of controversial content. TikTok is full of content with sexual references, such as people who teach themselves to the limit to advertise their profile on onlyfans, for example, and many times there are boys and girls consuming this content constantly.
It is difficult to block this content from children, since by creating a profile you can deceive with age. In fact, TikTok is not allowed for children’s use, but that is an easy thing to circumvent.
But it is not the only problem that TikTok has with the child audience. Now TikTok faces a legal problem from former Children’s Commissioner for England Anne Longfield over how it collects and uses children’s data.
The claim is being made on behalf of millions of children in the UK and the EU who have used the popular video sharing app, and depending on the process, if successful, affected children could each receive thousands of pounds.
TikTok, of course, said the case was without merit and to fight it.
The TikTok indictment
TikTok is accused of taking personal information from children, including phone numbers, videos, exact location and biometric data, without sufficient warning, without transparency or the necessary consent required by law, and without the knowledge of the children or parents. what is being done with that information.
TikTok reports that they are very concerned about privacy and security, and that they have policies, processes and technologies in place to help protect all users, with special reference to teenage users (it does not talk about children because in theory they should not be able to access TikTok).
Apparently all children who have used TikTok since May 25, 2018 have been affected. Children who do not wish to be represented can opt out. Although all networks collect information, they are focusing on TikTok because the data collection policy is excessive, as mentioned in the document.
They say:
[…] Behind the fun songs, dance challenges, and lip-syncing trends lies something much more sinister. […] is a data collection service that is thinly veiled as a social network that has deliberately and successfully misled parents.
It is not the first time that something like this has happened with TikTok, in 2019, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) imposed a record fine of 5.7 million dollars on the Chinese company for mishandling children’s data.
Now we will have to wait to see if the case progresses in court and if TikTok takes any action to further protect the data of minors.
