Beautiful Virgin Islands

Monday, Apr 21, 2025

TikTok fined £12.7m for misusing children's data

TikTok fined £12.7m for misusing children's data

TikTok has been fined £12.7m by the UK's data watchdog for failing to protect the privacy of children.

It estimated TikTok allowed up to 1.4 million UK children aged under 13 to use the platform in 2020.

The video-sharing site used the data of children of this age without parental consent, according to an investigation by the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO).

TikTok said it had "invested heavily" to stop under-13s accessing the site.

The ICO said many were able to access the site despite TikTok setting 13 as the minimum age to create an account.

It said that children's data may have been used to track and profile them, and potentially present them with harmful or inappropriate content.

Information commissioner John Edwards said: "There are laws in place to make sure our children are as safe in the digital world as they are in the physical world. TikTok did not abide by those laws.

"As a consequence, an estimated one million under-13s were inappropriately granted access to the platform, with TikTok collecting and using their personal data.

"TikTok should have known better. TikTok should have done better. Our £12.7m fine reflects the serious impact their failures may have had."

Later, he told BBC News TikTok had "taken no steps" to obtain parental consent.

"When you sign up you can be targeted for advertising, you can be profiled, your data contributes to an algorithm which feeds content," he said.

"If you've been looking at content which is not appropriate for your age, that can get more and more extreme.

"It can be quite harmful for people who are not old enough to fully appreciate the implications and to make appropriate choices."


Reduced fine


It is one of the largest fines the ICO has issued.

A TikTok spokesperson told the BBC "our 40,000-strong safety team works around the clock to help keep the platform safe for our community".

"While we disagree with the ICO's decision, which relates to May 2018 - July 2020, we are pleased that the fine announced today has been reduced to under half the amount proposed last year. We will continue to review the decision and are considering next steps."

The watchdog had previously issued TikTok with a "notice of intent" - a precursor to handing down a potential fine - at the time saying TikTok could face a £27m fine for these breaches.

Prof Sonia Livingstone, who researches children's digital rights and experiences at the London School of Economics and Political Science, told the BBC it was "great the ICO is taking action", but feared the fine amount could be "shrugged off as the cost of doing business"."Let's hope TikTok reviews its practices thoroughly and make sure that it respects children's privacy and safety proactively in the future," she said.

Louise Devine has told the BBC she allows her 10-year-old son to use TikTok, though she monitors his usage.

"I know exactly what he's posting and I do monitor who he's talking to. Obviously, I can't monitor what he sees," she said.

"I don't think I would stop him from using it because all his friends are using it and I think that would be quite unfair, however, I do think that if I could have a way of monitoring what he sees that would be better for me."


Trouble for TikTok


TikTok is allowed to appeal against the scale of the fine and has 28 days to make representations. If successful, the ICO could reduce the final amount.

The regulator has a maximum of 16 weeks, from issuing the notice of a proposed fine to delivering its final verdict.

Fines received by the ICO go back to the Treasury.

But there may be further concerns for TikTok as the UK Online Safety Bill, due to be passed in the coming months, requires strict age verification processes by social networks.

It has been suggested firms will be fined for breaches - but a £12.7m fine is a small amount compared to the $80bn (£64bn) revenue reported to have been made by TikTok's parent company ByteDance, a Chinese tech company, in 2022.

And it comes as the platform is already under global scrutiny over security concerns.

Many Western countries are taking measures against TikTok over fears users' data will be shared with the Chinese government.

The app has been banned on government devices in Canada, Belgium, Denmark, New Zealand, Taiwan, the UK, the US and for anyone working at the European Commission.

TikTok boss Shou Zi Chew was grilled in Congress over its safety and tried to reassure lawmakers that users' data was secure.

The BBC has advised staff to delete TikTok from work phones.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Prince Andrew Joins Royal Family Attends Easter Sunday Service at Windsor Castle
Saudi Arabia Offers Max Verstappen Unprecedented Deal to Join Aston Martin
Global Pistachio Shortage Amid Rising Demand for 'Dubai Chocolate'
Trump is assembling a coalition of Western leaders aligned with the MAGA vision, strengthening a unified front for global change
IMF Predicts No Global Recession Amid Trade Tensions
Here’s a police officer with a brilliant gift for swift education
"Some complain that we put thousands in prison. In reality, we set millions free."
This is Vienna, Austria in 2025.
Boeing Jet Returns to US from China Amid Tariff War
Canadian Federal Election: Candidates' Positions on US-Canada Relations and Donald Trump
Resentencing Hearing for Menendez Brothers Who Killed Their Parents Delayed Amid Legal Disputes
Australian Woman Gives Birth To Stranger's Baby In IVF Mix-up
US Sets Deadline for Russia-Ukraine Peace Deal Brokerage
Italy Introduces 'Sex Rooms' in Prisons for Inmates
California Launches Legal Challenge Against Trump Administration's Tariffs
"Groundless": China Dismisses Zelensky's Claims It's Supplying Arms To Russia
UK Psytrance Festival Cancelled Amid Local Protests Over Noise Concerns
French Far-Right Writer Renaud Camus Denied Entry to UK
UK Police Force Updates Search Policy for Trans Individuals in Custody
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni Meets with Donald Trump to Discuss EU-US Trade Tensions
Canada's Federal Party Leaders Engage in Final Debate Ahead of General Election
Ukraine and US Sign Outline of Minerals Deal
Fast Food Chain Refuses to Apologize for Online Comment About Katy Perry's Space Voyage
New York Attorney General Letitia James Faces Criminal Referral for Alleged Mortgage Fraud
Mark Cuban admits support for Trump executive order: ‘Gotta be honest’
US Senator Meets with Deported Immigrant in El Salvador Amid Custody Dispute
U.S. State Department Raises El Salvador’s Safety Ranking, Making It Safer Than France and Other European Nations
UK Government Assumes Control of British Steel's Scunthorpe Plant Amid Shutdown Threat
UK MP Wera Hobhouse Denied Entry to Hong Kong During Family Visit
Bangladesh Issues Arrest Warrant for UK MP Tulip Siddiq
China Urges United States to Cancel Tariffs Amid Escalating Trade Tensions
The Empire’s USD Pyramid Scheme Is Working Brilliantly—So Why ‘Fix’ It?
China Raises Tariffs on U.S. Goods to 125% Amid Escalating Trade Dispute
Elon Musk Reports $150 Billion in Projected Government Savings Amid Fraud Investigations
U.S. and Panama Finalize Defense Agreements Amid Canal Access and Chinese Influence Concerns
China Stands Firm Amidst Trade Disputes with the US: A Factual Analysis
U.S. Tariff Escalation Sparks Global Trade Tensions
Helicopter crashes in NYC with four people on board.
Australia Dismisses China's Suggestion to Collaborate Against US Tariffs
EU Postpones Response to US Tariffs
The Trump Administration is contemplating removing Chinese companies from U.S. stock exchanges.
Violent Incidents and Public Safety Concerns Escalate in London and County Durham
UK MP Arrested on Suspicion of Rape and Child Sex Offences
UK Gears Up to Respond to US Tariffs with Industrial Strategies and Trade Initiatives
‘Rocky’ star Dolph Lundgren and his wife Emma Krokdal bask in the Miami sunshine following the actor’s lengthy health struggles.
Spain Encounters Countrywide Protests as Housing Crisis Intensifies
Alisha Lehmann's Modeling Campaign and Public Controversy Stir Debate Ahead of UEFA Women's Euro
U.S. Firms with Major International Revenue Exposure in Light of New Tariffs
President Trump Calls on the Federal Reserve to Reduce Interest Rates in Light of New Tariffs
President Trump Prolongs TikTok Sale Deadline by 75 Days
×