Background on TikTok and its Relevance
TikTok, a popular social media platform owned by the Chinese company ByteDance, has agreed to improve its measures to keep children away from its website and app following a Canadian investigation that found its efforts to block children and protect personal information were inadequate, according to Canadian privacy officials.
Canadian Investigation Reveals Concerns
A joint investigation led by Philippe Dufresne, Canada’s Privacy Commissioner, and privacy authorities from the provinces of Quebec, British Columbia, and Alberta, discovered that hundreds of thousands of Canadian children access TikTok annually, despite the company stating its platform is not intended for users under 13 years old.
The investigation also uncovered that TikTok had collected personal information from “a large number” of Canadian children and used it for online targeting and content segmentation.
“TikTok collects substantial amounts of personal information about its users, including children. These data are used to tailor the content and ads users see, which can have detrimental effects, especially for young people,” Dufresne explained during a press conference announcing the investigation’s findings.
TikTok’s Commitment to Improvement
In response to the investigation, TikTok agreed to enhance age verification methods to keep underage users off the platform and improve communications so that users, particularly younger ones, understand how their data might be used.
The company also accepted changes during the investigation, according to privacy commissioners. These include preventing advertisers from targeting users under 18, except based on broad categories like language and approximate location, as well as expanding privacy information available to Canadian users.
A TikTok spokesperson stated that the company is pleased that commissioners accepted several of its proposals “to further strengthen” the platform for Canadians.
“While we do not agree with some of the conclusions, we remain committed to maintaining transparency and sound privacy practices,” the spokesperson said in a statement.
The spokesperson did not specify which conclusions TikTok disagrees with.
Global Scrutiny of TikTok
Canada joins governments and regulatory bodies worldwide that have been examining TikTok due to concerns that China might use the app to collect user data or advance its interests. TikTok is owned by Chinese company ByteDance, though U.S. President Donald Trump has been working with China on a deal requiring ownership transfer to U.S. entities.
The two largest political institutions in the European Union have banned TikTok on staff devices, while the U.S. Senate passed a bill in December to prohibit federal employees from using the app on government-owned devices.
Ottawa initiated an investigation into TikTok’s plans to invest and expand its business in Canada starting in 2023. The review led to a government order requiring TikTok to cease operations in Canada for national security reasons, which the company is contesting.
Key Questions and Answers
- What is TikTok? TikTok is a social media platform owned by the Chinese company ByteDance, popular among users for short-form video content.
- Why is TikTok under scrutiny? Concerns exist that China may use the app to collect user data or promote its interests, prompting investigations worldwide.
- What did the Canadian investigation find? The investigation discovered that many Canadian children access TikTok annually, and the platform collected personal information from these children for targeted content and ads.
- What commitments did TikTok make? TikTok agreed to enhance age verification methods, improve communications about data usage, and accept changes like limiting advertiser targeting of users under 18.
- What is the global response to TikTok? Several governments and regulatory bodies have restricted or are restricting TikTok’s use due to data privacy concerns.
