Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
Israeli media: Rafah crossing was not opened as planned, and no date has yet been set for the resumption of movement through it.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro: There will be no change in diplomatic relations with Israel until it complies with the agreements.
Maduro: We say to the people of the United States that we do not want war in the Caribbean or in South America.
Maduro: The sadists in America believe they can issue orders for the world to follow, that they rule while others must adapt. But the first to know this is false are the American people themselves.
Caracas: US maneuvers seek to legitimize regime change and seizure of Venezuelan oil resources.
Caracas: The announced US military deployment in the Caribbean region constitutes a policy of aggression and a threat against Venezuela.
Venezuela: We reject Trump's statements allowing US intelligence agencies to operate in Venezuela.
Palestinian media: Occupation forces storm the town of Azzun, east of Qalqilya
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: Israeli occupation forces fire on Shujaiyya neighborhood east of Gaza City.
Palestinian Prisoners' Information Office: Four of his ribs were broken

TikTok fined €345mln for breaking EU data law on children’s accounts

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: News websites
  • 15 Sep 2023 19:16
  • 1 Shares
3 Min Read

The Irish data watchdog, which supervises TikTok across the EU, claims that the app violated various GDPR requirements.

  • x
  •  TikTok fined €345m for breaking EU data law on children’s accounts
    The TikTok logo seen on a mobile phone in front of a computer screen that displays the TikTok home screen, on March 18, 2023 (AP)

TikTok has been penalized €345 million (£296 million) for violating EU data protection laws in its handling of children's accounts, including failing to keep underage users' information private.

The Irish data protection body, which supervises TikTok across the EU, claimed that the Chinese-owned video app had violated various GDPR requirements.

It found that TikTok violated GDPR by defaulting child users' accounts to public; failing to provide transparent information to child users; allowing an adult to access a child's account on the "family pairing" setting to enable direct messaging for children over 16; and failing to adequately consider the risks posed to children under 13 on the platform who were placed on a public setting.

Read more: EU TikTok users safer than UK counterparts from personalized algorithm

According to the Irish Data Protection Commission (DPC), users aged 13 to 17 were guided through the sign-up procedure in such a way that their accounts were set to public by default, which means anybody may access or comment on an account's content. It also discovered that the "family pairing" method, which allows an adult to modify a kid's account settings, did not check to see if the adult "paired" with the child user was a parent or guardian.

Related News

Wild bee species at existential risk in Europe doubles in past decade

IMF head flags US budget, Europe defense spending challenges

The Commission last week fined Instagram owner Meta Platforms Inc. 405 million euros ($402 million) in a long-running investigation into allegedly mishandling data about minors who operated business accounts, which exposes more of their personal data than if they operated a personal account.

Meta responded by arguing that the decision is related to old settings that they had updated more than a year ago and that they intend to appeal the fine and its amount. 

The DPC decided that TikTok, which has a minimum user age of 13, failed to adequately consider the risk presented to minor users who acquired access to the platform. It said the public-by-default setting permitted anybody to "view social media content posted by those users."

For under-17s, the Duet and Stitch features, which let users merge their material with that of other TikTokers, were also enabled by default. However, the DPC determined that its techniques for validating users' ages did not violate GDPR.

TikTok stated that it disagrees "with the decision, particularly the level of the fine imposed. The DPC’s criticisms are focused on features and settings that were in place three years ago, and that we made changes to well before the investigation even began, such as setting all under-16 accounts to private by default.”

The DPC also recognized that it had been overridden on several points of its judgment by the European Data Protection Board, a group comprising data and privacy authorities from EU member states. This meant that it had to contain a suggested conclusion by the German authority that the use of "dark patterns" - the term for misleading website and app designs that push users into specific behaviors or choices - violated a GDPR regulation on fair processing of personal data.

  • TikTok
  • European Union
  • Europe

Most Read

Iran strikes secret Israeli-US bunker under Tel Aviv high-rise

Tel Aviv high-rise struck by Iran hid Site 81, secret US-Israeli base

  • Politics
  • 14 Oct 2025
Palestinian journalist Saleh al-Jaafarawi in an undated image in Gaza, occupied Palestine (Social media)

Gaza Palestinian journalist Saleh al-Jafarawi killed by collaborators

  • Politics
  • 12 Oct 2025
drop site

New report details extensive Israeli arson in Gaza after ceasefire

  • Politics
  • 13 Oct 2025
Illustration of fists breaking shackles, representing the liberation of Palestinian detainees from Israeli prisons. (Illustrated by: AL Mayadeen English/Batoul Chamas)

4 prominent Palestinian detainees to be freed: Who are they?

  • Palestine
  • 13 Oct 2025

Coverage

All
War on Gaza

Read Next

All
Members of the media wait for Palestinian prisoners and injured at the Rafah border crossing in Egypt, Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025 (AP)
Politics

Rafah crossing to reopen for travelers from Gaza: Reuters

US President Donald Trump speaks during an event in the Oval Office at the White House, Wednesday, October 15, 2025, in Washington (AP)
Politics

'Israel' may resume Gaza war if Hamas breaches ceasefire, Trump says

Mourners attend the funeral of slain captive Captain Daniel Peretz at Mt. Herzl military cemetery in occupied al-Quds, Wednesday, October 15, 2025 (AP)
Politics

Al-Qassam Brigades hand over all living Israeli captives

Armored vehicles drive through a street during a government-organized march in support of President Nicolas Maduro in Caracas, Venezuela, Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2025 (AP)
Politics

US approves covert CIA action in Venezuela: Reports

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS