TikTok investigated by UK watchdog over use of children’s data

The UK Data Watchdog has launched that it says a “major investigation” in the use of tickets of children’s personal information.

The Information Commissioner Office (ICO) will inspect the method in which the social media platform uses data from children between 13 and 17 years to recommend further content to them.

Information Commissioner, John Edwards, said that it would see if the data collection practices of tickets may experience losses, such as data leaked or spending “more time healthy” on stage.

Tikkok told the BBC that “its recommended system operated under strict and comprehensive measures that protect the privacy and safety of adolescents”.

It states that the platform also has “strong restrictions on material permissible in teenage feeds”.

Mr. Edwards said that users clicked on the algorithm “feeds” of the tickets clicked on profiles, preferences, links clicked on the link and how long they spend in view a special video – it is subject to the UK rules.

In addition to tiktok examining, ICO is also examining an image-sharing platform reddit and the age verification procedures.

The investigation will focus on whether companies are complying with both UK data security laws and children’s codes.

The code is set to design principles for online platforms for the purpose of protecting children in the UK. The platforms that collect the user data of the UK children should reduce the amount they collect and take extra care when processing it.

ICO’s investigation in Reddit and IMGUR will focus on how platforms check their users’ age and their enforcement of age.

In October, it was said that Reddit defeated X as the fifth most popular platform in the UK.

Meanwhile, Imgur says on his website that it reaches more than 250 million people in a month. However, it suggests in which country their users are based, so there is no figure for the number of people using it in the UK.

The Information Commissioner told the BBC, “I do not want to do the former-judge how we can see Imgur and Reddit cases, but if there are age limitations to reach the services, the platform will have to be implemented in some ways,” the Information Commissioner told the BBC.

“There are many different techniques and number of techniques that are available, I will say, and degree of hardness, I think, depending on the type of risks, the possibility that children will reach those sites.

“I think there will be an base line: self-proclamation is probably not going to cut it if there are materials or services on the site that are unsuitable for children under 13 years of age.”

A spokesman for Reddit told BBC that 95% of his users are adults, but they have “plans to roll out the change that is updated to update the UK rules”.

IMGUR has not responded to the BBC request for comments.

Investigation does not necessarily have to break the law by any of the three platforms.

But companies that have done so can be punished with enforcement notices and fine.

“We are patrolling, and will result in law violations,” said Mr. Edwards.

This is not the first time Tiktok has faced an investigation from the ICO. The stage is appealing against an ICO A fine of £ 12.7m in 2023 to misuse children’s data Was released in 2023.