TikTok, which is owned by the Chinese company ByteDance, is currently being sued for billions of dollars over allegedly mishandling and using data pertaining to minors. Internal company data from July 2020 found that 18 million of TikTok’s total 800 million worldwide users are aged 14 years or younger. The lawsuit was filed by Anne Longfield, children’s commissioner for England, on behalf of millions of minors in the UK and the EU who have used TikTok and had their data mishandled. TikTok is being accused of harvesting children’s personal information without notice, transparency, or the consent required under British and European Union law.
Children’s data that the company allegedly collects includes biometric information, location data, videos, and phone numbers. If the claim is successful, those who were violated could receive financial compensation. Longfield stated that TikTok’s practices are shadowy and excessive, seemingly purposefully designed to deceive and trick parents. The platform is wildly popular in the region, however, Longfield alleges that it is in severe breach of UK and EU data collection policies.
Read More: TikTok Sued Over Use of Minors’ Data
