EU Finds TikTok Violates Its Digital Rule Book by Failing to Protect Minors' Privacy

The European Commission (EU) on Friday said it found TikTok had not adequately protected children's privacy rights on its platform by allowing adults to view the accounts of minors.

The action exposed children to cyberbullying, unwanted contact and predatory behavior, commission spokesperson Thomas Regnier said.

"Children's content must never be visible to strangers,” he said. If TikTok does not take steps called for by the European Union’s landmark Digital Services Act, "minors are exposed to predators, to grooming and to cyberbullying," Regnier said, adding that children aged 13 to 15 can "easily" change their accounts from private to public and the private accounts of minors aged 16 to 17 can be seen by anyone on the internet. "We do not accept this," Regnier added. "Putting default settings for minors is not a beauty contest under the DSA. It must be effective."

Please select this link to read the complete article from The Associated Press.