The United Kingdom’s media and telecommunications regulator has announced it is opening an investigation into TikTok to determine whether the platform has failed to meet its obligations to «protect children from exposure to harmful content».
«This investigation will seek to determine whether there are reasonable grounds to believe that TikTok has failed or is failing to meet its legal obligations, including the use of a highly effective age verification system to properly identify whether a user is a child», Ofcom stated on its website. Already under scrutiny from UK authorities, the video-sharing platform — owned by Chinese company ByteDance — is facing mounting penalties and restrictions around the world.
London investigates TikTok — child protection at the center
Two years ago, the same regulator fined TikTok nearly £2 million for failing to provide timely information about its parental controls safety feature.
The previous year, the platform was hit with a £12.7 million fine by the UK’s data protection authority, the ICO, for the «unlawful» use of children’s personal data.
The regulator’s conclusion
«Opening an investigation does not mean that Ofcom has concluded that the provider has failed to meet its obligations», the regulator stated today, while warning that it could impose fines of up to 10% of the company’s global revenue.
The United Kingdom strengthened its online child safety legislation last year with the introduction of a law aimed at preventing minors from being exposed to content related to suicide, self-harm, eating disorders, and pornography, among other harmful material.
TikTok’s response
«We are rigorous in ensuring we provide age-appropriate experiences», TikTok said in a statement to AFP. «We are confident that we comply with our obligations» under UK law «and will work with Ofcom to demonstrate this».
