TikTok fined 345 million euros by European Union regulator

TikTok’s European headquarters is located in Dublin, Ireland.

PHOTO BY ARCHIVE

TikTok fined 345 million euros by European Union regulator

TikTok has been fined 345 million euros ($369 million) over child data breaches on Friday (September 15), according to Ireland’s Data Protection Commission (DPC).

The European Union regulator fined the Chinese-owned social media platform over child data breaches that it uncovered in a two-year inquiry.

Ireland’s DPC gave TikTok a three-month deadline “to bring its processing into compliance” with its rules. The watchdog police’s EU’s strict General Data Protection Regulations.

Since 2021, the DPC has been investigating TikTok’s settings and personal data processing for users under the age of 18. It found that the platform did not properly assess risks to younger registered users.

On Friday, the DPC said that children signing up in TikTok have their accounts set to public by default, allowing anyone to view or comment on their content. It also found that the “family pairing mode” on TikTok did not verify the person’s parent or guardian status.

TikTok said it “respectfully disagrees” with the verdict, and claimed that settings and features that were highlighted have already been changed.

TikTok’s European headquarters is located in Dublin, which also hosts Google, Meta and X, formerly Twitter. ICA/Expat Media

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