Brazil fines TikTok owner over misuse of children's and teenagers' data

Brazil's National Data Protection Authority (ANPD) said on Tuesday that it had imposed a fine of 153.7 million reais (€25.57 million) on ByteDance, owner of the social network TikTok, for "irregularities in the processing of data belonging to children and adolescents".

In addition to the fine, the Chinese platform will be required to delete data collected irregularly and, according to the statement, "ByteDance has also committed to implementing a compliance plan to improve the protection of children and adolescents on TikTok".

The platform will have to automatically apply stricter privacy settings to accounts belonging to children under 16, strengthen systems for parental supervision and introduce tighter content filters.

The Brazilian oversight and regulatory authority identified practices by the Chinese company that were not in line with the country's General Data Protection Law (LGPD) in two modes of access to the platform, specifically in relation to the feed for users with and without an account.

ANPD said it had found that the mechanisms adopted by TikTok "were not sufficient to prevent, from the outset, the improper processing of personal data of children and adolescents".

The company behind TikTok will have to strengthen parental control systems and introduce stricter content filters.

In the version without user registration, for example, TikTok will have to suspend advertising across Brazil, restrict the experience to content suitable for all ages and cut screen time to 12 hours.

In the no-login version, users will also not be able to post or watch live broadcasts.

Earlier this month, ANPD also ordered popular streaming platform Discord to suspend live broadcasts and video calls after a teenage girl was allegedly encouraged to take her own life during a stream.

The agency told AFP that an appeal lodged by Discord on Monday against the suspension is currently under review.

In recent years, Brazil has taken a tougher line in regulating social media platforms.

A recent law requires platforms to link accounts held by users under 16 to their parents' accounts and to verify the user's age.

In 2024, the platform X was blocked in Brazil for 40 days, until the social network owned by the world's richest man, Elon Musk, complied with Supreme Court orders to remove accounts spreading disinformation.

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