As a concerned parent and avid user of social media platforms, I find the news of TikTok being fined £1.875 million by Ofcom for failing to provide accurate and timely information on its parental controls safety feature particularly disturbing. The U.K.’s media regulator has uncovered significant failings in TikTok’s data governance process, which puts the safety of children using the platform at risk.
The U.K.’s media regulatory body, Ofcom, imposed a fine of £1.875 million (approximately $2.4 million) on TikTok on Wednesday for not promptly and accurately providing requested information regarding their parental control safety feature.
During their investigation, they discovered several issues in TikTok’s data management procedures. The platform reportedly lacked adequate safeguards, resulting in incorrect data being submitted to Ofcom. Additionally, TikTok was criticized for taking too long to notify Ofcom about the error and rectify it promptly.
TikTok received a discount of 25% on their original fine from Ofcom because they acknowledged the investigation’s results and settled the case.
In plain English, the Office of Communications is responsible for safeguarding viewers and listeners of UK media, including television and radio, against content that may be harmful or offensive.
The regulatory body, authorized by the U.K. government, requested information from TikTok regarding safety measures under the Online Safety Act. Specifically, they asked for data on the usage of TikTok’s parental control feature named “Family Pairing.” This information is essential to evaluate its efficiency in safeguarding teenagers and to enable parents to choose appropriate platforms for themselves and their children.
TikTok addressed Ofcom’s data request on September 4, 2023. However, they acknowledged on December 1 that the information they had previously provided was incorrect. To rectify this, TikTok initiated an internal probe to identify the reason behind these inaccuracies. Following this revelation, Ofcom started an investigation on December 14 to examine whether TikTok had breached its obligations to supply required information.
Due to the inaccuracies uncovered by Ofcom, TikTok faced delays in providing information about their parental controls during an investigation. As a result, Ofcom had to exclude this detail from their report. Despite requests for updates, TikTok failed to provide accurate data until March 28 of this year – seven months past the initial deadline.
“Accuracy and timeliness are essential when providing data upon request, according to Ofcom’s enforcement chief Suzanne Cater. Failure to comply will result in prompt regulatory intervention.”
The fine is to be passed on to the U.K. government’s treasury department.
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2024-07-24 12:54