TikTok Hit With $368 Million Fine Over Minors' Privacy Case

European regulators imposed a $368 million fine on TikTok on Friday for its failure to protect children's privacy.

The investigation revealed that the sign-up process for teenage users resulted in settings that made their accounts public by default, allowing anyone to view and comment on their videos.

This marks the first instance where the popular short video-sharing app has been penalized for violating Europe's strict data privacy rules. Kelvin Chan reported this for the Associated Press (AP).

Ireland's Data Protection Commission, the primary privacy regulator for Big Tech companies with European headquarters largely based in Dublin, announced a fine of 345 million euros against TikTok.

The platform was also reprimanded for the violations dating back to the second half of 2020.

The investigation revealed that the sign-up process for teenage users resulted in settings that made their accounts public by default, allowing anyone to view and comment on their videos.

These default settings also posed a risk to children under the age of 13 who gained access to the platform, even though they were not allowed.

Additionally, a "family pairing" feature, designed for parents to manage settings, was found to be insufficiently strict, allowing adults to activate direct messaging for users aged 16 and 17 without their consent.

The feature also directed teenage users towards more "privacy-intrusive" options when signing up and posting videos, according to the watchdog.

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