TikTok fined 345 million euros for breaching children's privacy laws in the EU

TikTok has been fined 345 million euros for breaching privacy laws regarding children's data in the EU. 

The Chinese-owned platform violated multiple EU privacy laws between July 2020 and December 2020, according to Ireland's Data Protection Commissioner (DPC). 

This is the first time TikTok has faced punishment from the DPC, which over sees tech giants in the EU. TikTok disagrees with the decision and the size of the fine, but has made changes to address the issues raised. 

The DPC found that TikTok's breaches included defaulting accounts for users under 16 to "public" and not properly verifying parental consent. TikTok has since implemented stricter controls and changed settings for underage users. 

The company plans to make privacy information clearer and introduce a private account option for 16-17-year-old users. The DPC has given TikTok three months to rectify any infringements. 

The DPC is also investigating the transfer of personal data to China and whether it complies with EU data law. The EU's General Data Protection Regulation allows fines of up to 4% of a company's global revenue. The DPC has previously fined other tech giants, such as Meta, a combined total of 2.5 billion euros.

- CyberBeat