Dutch foundation demands 1.4 billion euros from TikTok on behalf of parents

A Dutch foundation files a claim for compensation with TikTok on behalf of concerned parents. The parents accuse the video app of negligence in ensuring the safety and privacy of children. The foundation has sued TikTok today.

This article was published on 2nd June 2021 on RTL Nieuws in the Netherlands.

The parents are represented in the case by the Dutch Foundation for Market Information Research ( SOMI ), to which more than 64,000 European parents have reported in Europe. "In total, the mass claim can amount to more than 1.4 billion euros, based on the more than 1 million Dutch minor users," says SOMI. According to SOMI, TikTok violates several European laws, including the GDPR privacy law. 

The reason is the consequences of the alleged negligence, which, according to the prosecutors, resulted in several deaths. This concerns, for example, dangerous challenges in which children challenge each other. At the beginning of this year, a 10-year-old Italian girl died in a dangerous challenge on TikTok. It was only after that death that TikTok was forced by the Italian court to block users who did not confirm their age. Officially, TikTok is not allowed for users under the age of 13, and minors need parental permission. In practice, those ages are not properly controlled. 

'Harmful for young children'

TikTok violates European rules, according to SOMI, by targeting advertisements at children. Also, the app would not properly ask permission for the use of data and would not say which data is collected for which purposes. The Chinese company behind TikTok would also collect and store more data than necessary and would not comply with legal requirements for keeping that data safe.

According to SOMI, TikTok also does not comply with European media rules that are intended to "protect children from harmful content." "SOMI also believes that more general videos on TikTok can be harmful to young children, for example, because of hidden advertisements for harmful products and content that promotes unrealistic ideals of beauty, which can lead to problems such as self-harm and eating disorders."

TikTok response

According to a TikTok spokesperson, protecting the privacy and security of users is "the highest priority". “We are taking industry-leading steps to promote youth safety on TikTok, such as setting accounts to Private by default for users under the age of 16, and enabling parents to link their account to their teenage child's through family pairing. evaluate and improve our policies, processes and systems, and continue to consult with external experts."

Read the full article here (in Dutch): https://www.rtlnieuws.nl/tech/artikel/5233961/bezorgde-ouders-eisen-14-miljard-euro-van-tiktok