TikTok receives collective damage claim: 'Privacy of children are too little protected'
The makers of the wildly popular app TikTok can expect a hefty claim in the mailbox. A group of parents of children who use the app file a claim that can amount to 1.4 billion euros.
This article was published on 2nd June 2021 on Metro Nieuws, in the Netherlands. Written by Ingelise de Vries.
According to the parents filing the claim, the privacy and safety of the young social media users are not well protected. For that reason, the parents want a substantial amount of money from the makers of the app.
TikTok was being unclear about data collection
The summons will be sent to TikTok today. The case was brought by the Foundation for Market Information Research (SOMI). This foundation represents more than 64,000 parents who have already sounded the alarm. Cor Wijvliet is one of the founders of the foundation and says that regulators do not act against TikTok. That is why he goes to court in Amsterdam.
Like Instagram and Facebook, for example, TikTok collects data from users in order to show targeted advertisements. It's just not enough permission to do that. In addition, the makers of TikTok are said to collect much more data than is necessary.
Better protection for children
According to SOMI, children are also not protected enough. They sometimes encourage each other to take on dangerous challenges that have already killed children abroad. For example, the Italian government partially blocked the app after the death of a 10-year-old girl. The victim is said to have participated in the 'blackout challenge'. You suffocate yourself until you just can't anymore.
The makers of TikTok have announced that they are doing a lot to ensure that young users can use the app safely. Accounts of users between the ages of 13 and 15 are set to private by default so that not everyone can see the videos. Inappropriate videos will be removed and objectionable material may be reported.
Too little privacy on TikTok
It's not the first time the app has been discredited. In England, ByteDance, the company behind TikTok, was sued. The makers of the app are accused of illegally collecting information from children. That case could also cost the company billions. Earlier this year, consumer associations in 17 European countries, including the Netherlands, already sounded the alarm about the privacy behavior of the app makers.
Incidentally, TikTok is not the only social medium that collects data. Chat app Signal recently tried to launch an ad campaign on Facebook, in which users can see what data has been collected. Facebook wasn't exactly happy about that. Signal has been blocked and banned from Facebook. Facebook previously announced that no free app can be offered without giving away data.
Fortunately, there is sometimes good news: WhatsApp no longer forces you to accept everything blindly. Previously, it seemed that the popular chat app — also part of Facebook — slowed down if you didn't accept the terms.