SAO PAULO: Brazil’s data protection regulator on Aug 25 fined TikTok parent company ByteDance more than 153mil reais (nearly US$30mil/RM120.7mil) because of alleged failures in the handling of personal data of children and teenagers.
It's the South American nation’s latest move against social media companies.
The regulatory body said in its ruling that TikTok breached data privacy laws across both logged-in accounts and guest browsing sessions through the collection and processing of young users’ personal information without a valid legal basis or adequate safeguards.
The company can still appeal the decision in the next 10 days, Brazil’s regulatory body said. It didn't immediately comment about the Brazilian regulator’s ruling, which also includes an order for TikTok to eliminate all data that was gathered illegally.
Brazil’s regulator also said that the company should offer a plan to improve its protection of minors.
Earlier this month, the same body recommended the suspension of live broadcasts of the platform Discord after it was linked to a suicide case.
Brazil’s government under President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and the country’s Supreme Court have tried to regulate the use of the Internet by minors, with mixed results so far, at a moment when countries, including Australia, Canada and Indonesia, are undertaking similar efforts.
Brazil’s first lady, Rosângela Lula da Silva, known as Janja, said on Aug 6 that the platform should be taken offline, citing the case. She is also a critic of TikTok’s protections of children and teenagers. – AP
Those suffering from problems can reach out to the Mental Health Psychosocial Support Service at 03-2935 9935 or 014-322 3392; Talian Kasih at 15999 or 019-261 5999 on WhatsApp; Jakim’s (Department of Islamic Development Malaysia) family, social and community care centre at 0111-959 8214 on WhatsApp; and Befrienders Kuala Lumpur at 03-7627 2929 or go to befrienders.org.my/centre-in-malaysia for a full list of numbers nationwide and operating hours, or email sam@befrienders.org.my.
