In a recent investigation, Canada’s privacy commissioner, Philippe Dufresne, and other privacy officials have expressed serious concerns regarding TikTok’s data protection practices for children. Each year, millions of Canadian kids rebound on the viral short form video sharing site. This is even with TikTok’s easily identifiable policy to prohibit use by anyone under the age of 13.
The recent Congressional investigation showed TikTok’s extensive data collection practices on its users—many of whom are children and teenagers. Dufresne presented those findings at a news conference. He pointed out that TikTok has proven unable to sufficiently keep kids off of the app and safeguard their data.
“This data is being used to target the content and ads that users see, which can have harmful impacts, particularly on youth,” Dufresne stated, highlighting the potential risks posed by the platform’s data handling practices.
Meanwhile, TikTok has largely ignored the actual issues that were raised. While they accept the report’s findings, they will do more and are bringing in new measures to protect children from their platform. A spokesperson for TikTok mentioned that the company “agreed to a number of our proposals to further strengthen our platform.” The spokesperson affirmed a commitment to transparency, stating, “While we disagree with some of the findings, we remain committed to maintaining strong transparency and privacy practices.”
This Canadian investigation adds to a growing global effort to scrutinize TikTok’s business practices and data privacy measures. Governments around the world are increasing their investigations on the app’s influence on American citizens. National security fears over the Chinese-owned app continue to rage. This is particularly the case as negotiations between former President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping are still ongoing over a potential TikTok badge deal for the app’s U.S. operations. A consortium of American companies could buy TikTok’s U.S. operations. This is a potentially welcome new deal as part of that shift.
Earlier this year, the European Commission ordered its employees to remove TikTok from their mobile devices. This action was a response to increasing public concern over data privacy and security.
Privacy concerns over TikTok are popping up worldwide. Today, the company is under unprecedented pressure from various governments around the world about how it collects and uses personal data. Both TikTok and Beijing have denied that TikTok has ever mishandled user data. Worries over the safety of the children’s information on the platform are still very much pressing.