Action against TikTok: 'Insufficient protection of children and violation of GDPR regulations'

TikTok falls short of protecting children using the app. That is what the Foundation for Market Information Research (SOMI) claims. The app collects and distributes suspected unauthorized personal data from users, especially minors. In doing so, TikTok is believed to be in violation of the European GDPR (in the Netherlands: AVG) regulations.

This article was published on 28th July 2020 on Emerce in the Netherlands. Please find the English Translation below.

SOMI is calling on concerned parents worldwide to report to the foundation when their children have used TikTok. By completing and signing the online participation form at Tiktokclaim.org, the consumer gives permission for SOMI to investigate violations based on the users' personal data. In this way, sufficient material can also be collected for a possible collective claim. A one-off contribution of 17.50 euros is charged for registration.

The main objection is that TikTok was already warned in 2019 that children are not adequately protected from contact with unknown adults and that supervision of this may still be completely inadequate at this time.

A first step, according to the foundation, is a thorough investigation. 'The purpose of the claim is not to obtain compensation, that is by-catch. For us it is about protecting children and ensuring that individual consumers are not powerless against the producers of popular apps. '

Click here for the original article on Emerce.nl (in Dutch)