'Dutch regulators must now intervene at TikTok'
The Foundation for Market Information Research raises the alarm after the death of two children as a result of TikTok challenges.
This article was published on 28th January 2021 on Adformatie in the Netherlands.
Please find the English translation below.
Dutch and European regulators now have to intervene with the video app TikTok to guarantee the safety of users. This call is made by the Foundation for Market Information Research (SOMI) following the death of two young users in three days.
An 18-year-old boy from Pakistan was killed this week when he was hit by a train during a stunt for TikTok. And a 10-year-old Italian girl who used the app a lot died after taking part in a blackout challenge, according to her parents. In addition, people let themselves suffocate for as long as possible while filming themselves. The Italian privacy watchdog has urged TikTok to ban all users whose age it cannot verify over the girl's death.
Age verification
According to SOMI, the Italian incident could also happen in the Netherlands: 'Recent research by research agency Multiscope shows that the use of TikTok in the Netherlands is highest among 12-year-olds: 64 percent use the app', says Cor Wijtvliet, co-founder of SOMI. The age check of 13 years old imposed by TikTok is easy to circumvent, according to Wijtvliet. 'Moreover, when we look at European privacy directives, the age limit should be 16 years. '
'In addition to the perilous challenges, TikTok is a paradise for predators', says SOMI. Wijtvliet: ' Malicious people can easily create an account and pretend to be a peer. TikTok says it cares about the safety and privacy of minors, but in practice, it does too little against the dangers of the platform.
Most downloaded app
TikTok is extremely popular. Researcher Apptopia recently reported that it would be the most downloaded app of 2020 worldwide. At least 850 million people have put the app on their phone or tablet, according to the figures. The app has also been under heavy fire in the United States for months. Trump argued that TikTok is storing too much data, which would reach the Chinese government via ByteDance.
The former president demanded that TikTok's US operations be sold to an American party, otherwise the app would be banned in the US. In September, Trump even agreed to a plan with Oracle and Walmart that would transfer TikTok's US operations into a new company. But TikTok continued to oppose the US government interference.
Not much can be said with certainty about the future of ByteDance. It is not yet clear what exactly President Joe Biden's new administration thinks about TikTok. According to The Information, the Chinese company is considering an IPO. It could possibly take place this year. But a decision on this has not yet been made, according to the site's sources.