He british watchdog of data fined TikTok with 12.7 million pounds (15.8 million dollars) for failing to protect children’s privacy.
According to an investigation of the Office of the Information Commissioner (ICO), the platform used data from under 13 years without the consent of their parents.
TikTok would have allowed even 1.4 million British children of that age will use the platform in 2020, according to information from the BBC.
Despite the fact that TikTok requires that children under 13 years of age have the consent of their parents to use the platform, the ICO assured that many could create accounts without parental permission.
“There are laws that guarantee that our children are just as safe in the digital world as they are in the physical one. TikTok did not comply with those laws”, said the Information Commissioner, john edwardsaccording to BBC.
“As a result, an estimated one million children under the age of 13 gained improper access to the platform, and TikTok collected and used their personal data”; he added.
“TikTok should have known. TikTok should have done better. Our £12.7 million fine reflects the severe impact that their failures may have had,” Edwards said.
A TikTok spokesperson told the BBC that its “security team of 40,000 people works around the clock to help keep the platform safe for our community.”
“Although we disagree with the ICO’s decision, which refers to May 2018 – July 2020, we are pleased that the fine announced today has been reduced to less than half the amount proposed last year. We will continue to review the decision and are considering the next steps,” he stated.
The fine is known after the British Government prohibited the installation of TikTok on official mobile phones in March for security reasons.
The conservative executive of rishi swank indicated that it had taken the measure taking into account that official mobile phones may contain sensitive informationalthough the prohibition does not affect the personal telephones of the members of the Executive.
With that decision, the UK joined other countries, including USA and Canadaas well as the European Union (EU), to veto TikTok, whose property is in the hands of the Chinese company bytedanceon the corporate devices of your employees.
TikTok denies that it facilitates the Chinese regime’s access to its users’ data.
(With information from EFE)
Keep reading:
Australia banned the use of TikTok on government devices for cybersecurity reasons
The UK banned the use of TikTok on government phones
France banned the use of TikTok on the phones of its public officials
Source-www.infobae.com