UK regulator: TikTok fined millions for error in youth protection information
Ofcom has imposed a fine of 2.23 million euros on TikTok for failing to provide accurate information on parental controls.
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The British regulatory authority Ofcom fined TikTok 1.875 million pounds (2.23 million euros) on Wednesday for failing to respond accurately to a formal request for information about the function of its "Family Pairing" parental controls introduced in 2020. The tool allows parents and young people to customize their safety settings to individual needs, such as limiting screen time and direct accessibility via direct messages.
Last year, Ofcom asked several video platforms how they comply with legal requirements to protect children from harmful content. The information was to be included in a transparency report with tips for parents. TikTok was also among those contacted. The company, which belongs to the Chinese group ByteDance, responded on September 4. According to the regulator, however, TikTok contacted him again on December 1 and admitted that the data provided had been incorrect and that they were investigating internally as to the cause of the inaccuracies.
TikTok is also the focus of the EU Commission
As a result of this disclosure, Ofcom itself launched an investigation into the case on December 14. In this context, "a number of deficiencies in TikTok's data management processes" were uncovered, the authority writes. The company not only had inadequate internal controls, but was also "slow to alert the Office to the error". Due to this delay, it was forced to remove details on the effectiveness of TikTok's parental controls from the report. It was not until March 28 - more than seven months after the original deadline - that the company finally provided "accurate, albeit incomplete, data".
Ofcom considers the fine imposed to be appropriate, as TikTok is "a large, well-resourced company" that is "aware of its regulatory obligations". The shortcomings also had a "direct impact on our regulatory work". In the EU, TikTok is considered a "gatekeeper" and must also comply with the strictest obligations under the Digital Services Act (DSA). In April, the portal operator "voluntarily" suspended the reward functions in TikTok Lite after the EU Commission threatened to take tougher action against the corresponding program.
(akn)
