London, 4 Apr (EFE) regarding breaches of data protection laws.

Among the breaches was the illegal use of a minor’s personal data, added the office, which is Britain’s independent regulator for data protection.

The ICO estimates that TikTok will allow up to 1.4 million children under the age of 13 in the UK to use its platform in 2020, although its own rules do not allow children under that age to create their own accounts.

UK data protection law requires organizations that use personal data when offering information services to children under 13 must obtain consent from their parents or guardians, ICO said in a statement, noting that TikTok did not do so even though it should have known. small children use the platform.

In addition, the ICO confirms that TikTok also does not exercise adequate controls over identifying minors on its platform.

ICO head John Edwards said there were laws in place to “ensure that our children are as safe in the digital world as they are in the physical world. TikTok has failed to comply with those laws.”

“As a result, approximately one million children under the age of 13 are provided inappropriate access to the platform, and their personal data is collected and used by TikTok. This means that their data may have been used to track them,” which “could generate harmful content and inappropriate,” he added.

“Our fine of 12.7 million – he pointed out – reflects the serious impact their decision could have. They did not do enough to verify who was using their platform nor did they take sufficient action to eliminate minors who used it”.

The fine became known after the British Government banned the installation of TikTok on official cellphones last March for security reasons.

Conservative executive Rishi Suank indicated he had taken action considering that official cell phones might contain sensitive information, although the ban does not affect the personal phones of Executive members.

With the decision, the UK joins other countries, including the US and Canada, as well as the European Union (EU), in banning TikTok, which is owned by Chinese company ByteDance, on corporate devices of its users and employees.

TikTok denies facilitating the Chinese government’s access to its users’ data.