South Korea fines TikTok $7 million for data privacy violations
South Korea has fined TikTok 7.1 billion won (approximately $7 million) for alleged violations of privacy laws. The penalty was issued by the country's personal data protection authorities.
South Korean authorities have imposed a fine of 7.1 billion won, roughly equivalent to $7 million, on the social media platform TikTok. The country's personal data protection commission announced on Wednesday that the company had committed multiple violations concerning the collection and use of users' personal information.
The Personal Information Protection Commission (PIIC) stated that TikTok systematically collected and retained sensitive personal data from children under 14 years old without obtaining proper consent. Furthermore, the authorities found that the platform violated laws by transferring user data to overseas locations.
According to the regulators, TikTok has been unclear about the types of data it collects and the purposes for which this data is used, thereby hindering users' ability to understand how their information is processed. The fines are intended as a warning to other platforms regarding data handling practices.
TikTok has not yet commented on the decision made by the South Korean authorities. This case highlights the increasing global scrutiny of data collection practices by digital platforms and the protection of children's privacy.