CYBERSECURITY
TikTok is violating children's privacy, advocacy groups warn.
The privacy groups asked the FTC to investigate and fine TikTok. The commission said it received the complaint but had no comment on it.
Privacy watchdogs say that the popular TikTok video app is violating a children’s privacy law and putting kids at risk. A coalition of 20 groups, including Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood and the Center for Digital Democracy, filed a complaint Thursday with the Federal Trade Commission saying that TikTok is collecting personal information of kids under 13 without their parents’ consent.
TikTok, owned by Chinese company Byte Dance, has exploded in popularity with young people thanks to its goofy, lighthearted feel and ease of use. At the same time, it’s drawn scrutiny from U.S. officials concerned about national-security risks due to its Chinese ownership and its popularity with kids. TikTok paid a $5.7 million fine to the FTC in 2019 over collecting personal information from kids under 13, a violation of the federal Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act. It revamped its app with a restricted mode for younger users.
Privacy issues are a major matter that require caution attention, especially when it comes to minors. Popular networking site TikTok has come under fire and investigation for allegedly violation children's privacy.
Let's be honest Tik Tok is booming on a daily and has all its users on chokehold and its one of the most liked apps currently. Tik Tok has been created to be an educational app that helps school learners with anything they are struggling with. But as soon as covid strike the world and we had nothing else to do and nothing to keep us busy now Tik Tok came to the rescue helping more than 1 million people giving content and entertainment. That's when Tik Tok changed, and complaints started coming in regarding children's privacy. This app can be used by anyone, and I mean anyone it doesn't have an age restriction policy, children can login with a fake birth date and access the full adult version of Tik Tok putting them at risk of TikTok's commercial data use and inappropriate contents it's also said Tik Tok is a spying app that tracks the videos you watch, comments you share, private messages you send and furthermore this apps policy say that the company collects your email address, phone number, searching and browsing history and what's in the pictures and videos that you upload, and if you consent the contents of your phones clipboard so that you can copy and paste into the app. So now imagine a young child using this app and such information is collected, doesn't that put these young children at risk??
Here are a few factors that should be taken into consideration when talking about how TikTok affects kids' privacy.
1. User-generated challenges and Trends: Certain difficulties and trends on TikTok involves people disclosing sensitive information about their life, exposing personal information, engaging in potentially harmful actions and involving minors. This may unintentionally exacerbate privacy issues.
2. Parental Control and Education: When it comes to protecting their children's privacy online, parents are essential. On TikTok and other sites, parental restrictions may noy always work as intended. It's crucial to educate parents on privacy settings and potential hazards so they can better protect their kids online.
3. Constant Enhancement: For platforms such as TikTok, it is imperative to consistently enhance privacy protection, moderation systems and user control. A dictation to fostering a safer online environment may be seen in the frequent improvements that are made in response to user input and new privacy concerns.
The platform and its users much both be aware of the possible privacy dangers that come with using social media, particularly for younger users. Through a mix of technology solutions, user education, and regulatory compliance, TikTok can address these issues and help make the internet a safer and more privacy-respecting place for all users especially kids.
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