Will TikTok have to pay fine for data breach?

London, 9/26/2022

TikTok is facing a fine of up to 27 million pounds ($29.2 million) in the U.K. for possibly failing to protect children’s data and privacy on its platform.

The U.K.’s Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) on Monday published the preliminary findings of an investigation into TikTok. It found that the company may have breached UK data protection laws by processing the data of children under 13 without parental consent.

The alleged breaches took place between May 2018 and July 2020. During that time, TikTok failed to provide adequate information to users in a transparent and clear manner, according to the ICO.

The social platform also processed „special category“ data, such as ethnicity and sexual orientation data, without the appropriate legal permissions, according to the ICO.

The agency sent a „notice of intent“ to TikTok Inc. preceded by a possible fine. The company said it disagrees with the preliminary findings and plans to respond formally before a final decision.

In 2019, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) fined TikTok’s parent company a record $5.7 million for mishandling children’s data and violating the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA).