Brazil fines TikTok $30m for child data privacy violations

Brazil's data protection authority has fined TikTok's parent company, ByteDance, nearly $30 million for allegedly mishandling the personal data of children and teenagers. The regulator found that TikTok breached data privacy laws by collecting and processing young users' information without a valid legal basis or adequate safeguards, potentially affecting at least 8 million children. The ruling also mandates TikTok to erase all illegally obtained data and develop an improved youth-protection framework, particularly addressing the risks associated with its "logged-out feed" feature which allows minors to bypass age verification. ByteDance has 10 days to appeal the decision. This action is part of an intensified crackdown on tech giants in Brazil.

Brazil's National Data Protection Authority (ANPD) has fined ByteDance $30 million for its handling of children's data on TikTok. This marks the largest penalty imposed by the ANPD since its establishment in 2020. The authority identified five violations of Brazil's data protection law. ByteDance has 10 working days to appeal the decision. Additionally, the company is required to delete records of users aged 13 to 18 lacking regularized parental authorization within 60 working days and instruct any partners who received these records to do the same. ByteDance must also provide system logs signed by its data protection officer, with daily fines of over $26,000 for non-compliance.

Brazil's data protection regulator has fined TikTok's parent company, ByteDance, over 153 million reais (nearly $30 million) for alleged failures in handling the personal data of children and teenagers. The regulator found that TikTok breached data privacy laws by collecting and processing young users' information without a valid legal basis or adequate safeguards, affecting both logged-in and guest browsing sessions. The ruling, issued on Tuesday, also mandates TikTok to eliminate illegally gathered data and present a plan to improve minor protection. ByteDance has 10 days to appeal the decision. This action is part of Brazil's broader efforts to regulate internet use by minors, with similar initiatives occurring in other countries.