TikTok has been fined over $15 million by Britain's data watchdog, the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), for failing to enforce rules that prohibit children under the age of 13 from using the platform without parental consent. According to the ICO, TikTok did not do enough to prevent an estimated 1.4 million children in the UK from using the platform since 2020, despite its own rules banning the practice.
The watchdog stated that TikTok's actions may have allowed the collection and use of personal data from children and put them at risk of exposure to harmful and inappropriate content. While TikTok disputed the ICO's decision, it acknowledged that the fine had been reduced to under half of the initial $33 million penalty that was threatened last year.
