The past few months have seen a great deal of backlash against TikTok’s handling of safety, security, and privacy. Back in September, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) declared that the social media giant could face a £27 million fine for breaching UK data protection laws – namely the processing of data belonging to children under 13 without parental consent.
Just last week, the US government approved a ban on the use of the app on federal government devices, amidst growing concerns about data leaks. On top of this, the app is currently being sued by the US state of Indiana for violating consumer protection laws – specifically, exposing children to inappropriate content and not disclosing whether the Chinese government has access to sensitive consumer information.
