Dutch parents sue TikTok for violation of children's privacy
A group of 64,000 Dutch parents has filed a claim against the company behind the social media app TikTok. They are demanding more than a billion euros for violating children's privacy because TikTok collects data about them.
This article was published on 2nd June 2021 on Tweakers.net. Written by Stephan Vegelien.
The case was brought by the Foundation for Market Information Research, which represents 64,000 parents who claim that TikTok does not protect the safety and privacy of their children well enough. Parents can report to the foundation since July 28, 2020. So far, 64,000 have done so. The foundation asks for compensation between 500 and 2000 euros per child, depending on the age.
According to the foundation, TikTok collects data from children for the purpose of offering targeted advertisements, without properly requesting permission. The foundation also states that TikTok collects more data than is necessary. In addition, TikTok would do too little to protect children. That is why the foundation is going to court in Amsterdam.
TikTok, in January, has adapted the terms of use for users under 18. Children aged between 13 and 18 can also create an account on TikTok, but standard accounts for children between 13 and 15 years old are private, meaning that only friends can comment on videos, so the kids are protected against unwanted reactions from adults. The terms are aimed at improving the privacy of teens on the platform. Meanwhile, TikTok mandated personalized ads for all users in April.
It is not the first lawsuit against TikTok. In the US, several settlements have already taken place with users for violating their privacy and in April TikTok was sued in the UK on behalf of 3.5 million children who use the app. Such a mass claim in the European Union is, however, exceptional, explains by Het Parool.
Read the full article (in Dutch): https://tweakers.net/nieuws/182462/nederlandse-ouders-klagen-tiktok-aan-wegens-privacyschending-kinderen.html