cross-posted from: https://lemmy.sdf.org/post/30367666

The UK data watchdog has launched what it calls a “major investigation” into TikTok’s use of children’s personal information.

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) will inspect the way in which the social media platform uses the data of 13 to 17-year-olds to recommend further content to them.

John Edwards, the Information Commissioner, said it would look at whether TikTok’s data collection practices could lead to children experiencing harms, such as data being leaked or spending “more time than is healthy” on the platform.

TikTok told the BBC its recommender systems operated under “strict and comprehensive measures that protect the privacy and safety of teens”.

It added that the platform also has “robust restrictions on the content allowed in teens’ feeds”.

Mr Edwards said TikTok’s algorithm “feeds” on personal data gleaned from user profiles, preferences, links clicked and how long they spend watching a particular video - making it subject to UK rules.

In addition to the probe into TikTok, the ICO is also checking the age verification processes of Reddit and Imgur, an image-sharing platform.

The investigation will look into whether the companies are complying with both the UK’s data protection laws, and the children’s code.

The code is set to design principles for online platforms aimed at protecting children in the UK. Platforms which collect UK children’s user data must minimise the amount they gather and take extra care when processing it.

[…]