TikTok Under Investigation Over Data Privacy Concerns
- Lawrence Ng
- Sep 17, 2021
- 1 min read
Tiktok is, once again, under scrutiny for data privacy concerns by another government privacy watchdog.
Ireland's Data Protection Commission (DPC) recently commenced two own-volition inquires on TikTok Technology Ltd., the company behind the popular video-sharing app. The Commission is also TikTok's lead regulator in the European Union (EU).
The first inquiry will investigate the company's compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) regarding its handling of personal data from underage users, including the app's settings for minors and its age-verification measures for users below 13 years old.
The second inquiry will focus on the company's transfer of personal data to China. It will also investigate the company's compliance with the GDPR's requirements regarding the transfer of personal data to "third countries".
A spokesperson from TikTok said that the company would fully cooperate with the DPC's investigation. The spokesperson also mentioned the company's implementation of policies and controls to safeguard user data and its usage of data transferring methods approved by the European Union.
"The privacy and safety of the TikTok community, particularly our youngest members, is a top priority," the spokesperson said.
Ireland's DPC is not the only commission that placed TikTok under investigation. The company is also under similar inquiries from other data protection agencies and consumers protection groups in the EU in the past months, citing concerns about the company's handling of personal data, especially the data of underage users.
Written by John Paul Joaquin
