TikTok fined a record €345 million by the European Union for failing to comply with GDPR
In an unprecedented move, the European Union has fined TikTok, the social network popular with young people, €345 million for violating data protection rules. The Irish Data Protection Commission (DPC), acting on behalf of the EU, has found several breaches by TikTok relating to the processing of information and data of minors.
Among the offenses noted by the DPC, we find in particular the fact that children’s accounts were set as public by default when they registered on the platform. In addition, the “family connection” system allowing a parent’s account to be linked to that of their child did not really verify whether the associated user was indeed the parent or legal guardian. Finally, the DPC also highlighted that TikTok had not properly taken into account the risks for people under 13 who had managed to create an account on the platform, although it is theoretically reserved for users aged at least 13 years old.
In its reaction, TikTok expressed its disagreement with the European decision, calling the fine “excessive level” and saying that the DPC’s criticism focused on features that had been changed already three years ago. The company emphasized that all accounts of users under 16 are now set to private by default and that it is active in removing accounts believed to belong to minors.
This record fine constitutes further proof of the authorities’ desire to further regulate social networks and protect users, particularly minors. TikTok thus joins the list of technology companies that have been sanctioned for similar offenses, such as Facebook (owner of Meta), which was fined a record 1.2 billion euros for non-compliance with the GDPR.
It is clear that social networks are increasingly scrutinized regarding their processing of data and their protection of user privacy. This fine reminds companies in the sector of the importance of respecting data protection rules and ensuring that users, particularly minors, are properly informed and protected.