TikTok is the subject of yet another major investigation, reports BBC News. This time around, the UK’s Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) is going to look at how the data of 13 to 17-year-olds feeds the algorithm that decides what further content to show.
The ICO introduced a children’s code for online privacy in 2021, which requires companies to take steps to protect children’s personal information online. Social media platforms use complex algorithms to decide which content will keep users engaged. This method tends to deliver content that increases in intensity and could end up delivering content that is considered harmful for children.
TikTok has defended itself, saying its recommender systems operate under “strict and comprehensive measures that protect the privacy and safety of teens”. TikTok also said the platform has “robust restrictions on the content allowed in teens’ feeds”.
The ICO said it expects to find that there will be many benign and positive uses of children’s data in TikTok’s algorithm but is concerned about whether these are “sufficiently robust to prevent children being exposed to harm, either from addictive practices on the device or the platform, or from content that they see, or from other unhealthy practices.”
This isn’t TikTok’s first run in with the ICO. In 2023, the ICO fined TikTok to the tune of $15.6M (£12.7M) for failing to protect 1.4 million UK children under the age of 13 from accessing its platform in 2020. The ICO imposed the fine after finding the company used children’s data without parental consent.
Tik Tok has been under scrutiny for many reasons in many countries. In the US, the ownership by the Chinese company ByteDance has been a main factor. Many governments have banned TikTok from government devices for that reason.
But the EU has also fined TikTok in the past for violating children’s privacy.
Last year, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced it had referred a complaint against TikTok and parent company ByteDance to the Department of Justice. One of the main issues in that case was TikTok’s failure to get parental consent before collecting personal information from children under 13.
TikTok is not the only platform under investigation by the ICO, it’s also looking at the forum site Reddit and the image-sharing site Imgur. For the last two, the ICO investigation will focus on the companies’ use of age assurance measures, such as how they estimate or verify a child’s age.
The ICO stated:
“If we find there is sufficient evidence that any of these companies have broken the law, we will put this to them and obtain their representations before reaching a final conclusion.”
Advice for parents
For parents whose children spend a lot of time on social media platforms like TikTok, here are some useful guidelines:
- Establish rules and limits for social media use. This will be particular to your family and what you feel comfortable with.
- Make use of built-in parental controls. TikTok for example offers Family Pairing which allows you to manage privacy settings, screen time, and set content restrictions.
- Have regular, open conversations about your child’s online experiences. Show an interest in what they are sharing.
- Teach your child about the importance of privacy settings and what you think is appropriate online behavior.
- Teach you child to question sources, consider different perspectives, and be aware of potential biases in what they encounter online.
- Talk to your child about what makes a good online citizen, including how they treat other people online.
- Set a good example, so be mindful of your own screen time and online behavior.
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