Brazil's data protection regulator has fined TikTok's parent company ByteDance more than 153 million reais (nearly $30 million) for failures in handling the personal data of children and teenagers. This was reported by infohub.kz.
According to the decision of Brazil's national data protection authority, TikTok breached data privacy laws across both logged-in accounts and guest browsing sessions by collecting and processing young users' personal information without a valid legal basis or adequate safeguards. This is the South American nation's latest move against social media companies.
The company can appeal the decision within 10 days. The Brazilian regulator also ordered TikTok to eliminate all data that was gathered illegally. Additionally, the company must present a plan to improve its protection of minors. TikTok has not yet officially commented on the decision.
Earlier this month, the same regulator recommended the suspension of live broadcasts on the Discord platform after it was linked to a suicide case. The government of 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, while countries like 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.