TikTok is facing a million-dollar fine from the European Union for violating children's privacy.
The European Data Protection Board has issued a final ruling on the handling of children's data by the Chinese video-sharing platform. Following TikTok's legal challenges to a previous decision in Ireland, where the company's European headquarters are located, the regulator has decided to settle the dispute.
The decision stems from an investigation launched in 2021 by Ireland's data protection commissioner and assessed TikTok's compliance with EU data protection regulations and its practices in relation to the data of persons aged 13 and under. 17 years old.
In line with the EU's Digital Services Law, major online platforms including TikTok, Google and Facebook will be required to monitor and remove illegal content from their platforms, ban specific advertising methods and cooperate with authorities exchanging data.
Earlier, the UK data regulator fined TikTok over $16 million for the platform's unauthorized handling of 1.4 million data of children under the age of 13 who had used the platform without obtaining parental consent.
