EU hits TikTok app with million-euro fine for data breach

The European Union’s lead regulator has fined TikTok with a €345 million ($368 million) fine for breaching laws on the processing of children’s personal data, which is the first time the popular short video-sharing app has been punished for violating Europe’s strict data privacy rules.

As reported by Euronews, the Chinese-owned short-video platform, which has grown rapidly among teenagers around the world in recent years, breached a number of EU privacy laws between July 31, 2020, and December 31, 2020, according to Ireland’s Data Protection Commissioner's (DPC) statement on September 15.

Their investigation found that the sign-up process for teen users resulted in settings that made their accounts automatically public, allowing anyone to view and comment on their videos.