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TikTok To Pay Record $5.7 Million FTC Fine For Alleged Violations of Children's Privacy Law (variety.com)
The company behind TikTok, the popular short-form video app that incorporated Musical.ly last year, has agreed to pay $5.7 million to settle Federal Trade Commission allegations that it illegally collected personal info from children. "According to the FTC, it's the largest civil penalty ever obtained by the agency in a children's privacy case," reports Variety. From the report: The FTC's complaint, filed by the Department of Justice on behalf of the commission, alleges that Musical.ly violated the federal Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), which requires websites and online services aimed at kids to obtain parental consent before collecting personal information from children under 13. Under the terms of the settlement, TikTok is also required to remove all videos from the app posted by children under the age of 13 and also must comply with COPPA going forward.
In the wake of the FTC fine, TikTok announced in a blog post that on Feb. 27 it is launching a new app environment for users under 13 that does not permit the sharing of personal information and "puts extensive limitations on content and user interaction." Both current and new TikTok users will be directed to the age-appropriate app experience, beginning Wednesday. In the post, TikTok said in part: "While we've always seen TikTok as a place for everyone, we understand the concerns that arise around younger users. In working with the FTC and in conjunction with today's agreement, we've now implemented changes to accommodate younger U.S. users in a limited, separate app experience that introduces additional safety and privacy protections designed specifically for this audience."
FTC Chairman Joe Simons said in a statement: "This record penalty should be a reminder to all online services and websites that target children: We take enforcement of COPPA very seriously, and we will not tolerate companies that flagrantly ignore the law."
In the wake of the FTC fine, TikTok announced in a blog post that on Feb. 27 it is launching a new app environment for users under 13 that does not permit the sharing of personal information and "puts extensive limitations on content and user interaction." Both current and new TikTok users will be directed to the age-appropriate app experience, beginning Wednesday. In the post, TikTok said in part: "While we've always seen TikTok as a place for everyone, we understand the concerns that arise around younger users. In working with the FTC and in conjunction with today's agreement, we've now implemented changes to accommodate younger U.S. users in a limited, separate app experience that introduces additional safety and privacy protections designed specifically for this audience."
FTC Chairman Joe Simons said in a statement: "This record penalty should be a reminder to all online services and websites that target children: We take enforcement of COPPA very seriously, and we will not tolerate companies that flagrantly ignore the law."
Hopefully it dies out. Trash app for trash people.
TikTok's child friendly app used by predators to target children.
When the Internet started out, it was a place for everyone. Now we see what's happening when an "It's for the children" campaign is run on an unscrupulous advertiser who probably got more than the fine back by collecting data on future citizens and selling it.
What I see is that the Internet isn't for everyone and that the "precious" children should be banned from it until they reach an age where they can understand what it is they're getting into.
Unless a separate Internet can be put into place with a small cadre of gatekeepers to ensure that the kiddies aren't abusing it, I really don't see a solution.
How to enforce it? I don't know. Look at how Fecesbook started out: You had to be an adult to sign up, but as time went on, the age of joining decreased. At the height of its celebrity, a large portion of children lied about their age in order to get into the hype.
"I'm finished!" - Paul Thomas Anderson, "There Will Be Blood"
We all know the answer. Not anyone whoâ(TM)s rights were violated. This is just a money grab. Seems to be happening a lot lately.
The hidden microphones Nest / Google installed in people's homes, have no doubt collected far more dirt on kids. https://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/security/a26448907/google-nest-hidden-microphone/
How did the years go by? Now it's only me
Tik Tok
Like a cat in heat stuck in a moving car
Scary conversations
Shut my eyes, can't find the brake
What if they say that you're a cloner?
Huh?
Naturally I'm worried if I do it alone
Who really cares 'cause it's your life
You never know, it could be great
Take a chance 'cause you might grow
What you waiting What you waiting for?
What you waiting What you waiting What you waiting
What you waiting What you waiting for?
Tik Tok
Take a chance, you stupid ho
Like a new cunt pattern, you're repeating yourself
You know it all by heart
Why are you standing in one place?
Born to blossom, bloom to perish
Huh?
You know you're only known
'Cause of your sex chromosome
I know it's so messed up how our society all thinks (for sure)
Life is short, you're capable (uh huh)
Huh?
Look at your watch now. You're still a super hot female!
You got your million dollar contract. And they're all waiting for your hot track
What you waiting What you waiting What you waiting What you waiting What you waiting for?
What you waiting What you waiting What you waiting What you waiting What you waiting for?
I can't wait to go Back into Japan
Get me lots of brand new fans Osaka, Tokyo
You Harajuku girls Damn, you've got some wicked style
Huh?
What you waiting for?
What you waiting for?
Take a chance, you stupid ho
Take a chance, you stupid ho
What you waiting for?
What you waiting for?
Take a chance, you stupid ho
Tik Tok. GONG! The bells tolls for thee, Trump. It tolls for thee!
Every time some douche bag company screws up and gets caught the authorities always give them a slap on the wrist and pretend it has an impact. At least once a month I hear about some "huge" penalty, monetary or otherwise, and it's a bad joke. Next time the fine will be $5.8 million and it will still be "record breaking".
Over 99% of the time the top of the corporate ladder feels no pain. They just fire some lower level workers and charge more and sail right on. Can you say Wells Fargo?
Does anybody fall for this anymore, or do we all accept it as a meaningless ritual and ignore it? Why do they even pretend?
Why is Snark Required?
Before commerce was allowed on the Internet, when there was an "Appropriate Use Policy" that forebed it, everyone was academics or Engineers and it was a nice place. Then we let in a flood of school children, librarians and advertisers. Now its all digressed to porn and identity mining. Time to start over.
Everyone can agree that corporations should be barred from collecting/using information from children.
But why can't adults seek the same protections (with possible corresponding content limits), if so desired?
I sometimes wonder how many adults establish user profiles falsely giving child ages in the hope of greater limits on data collection.
the price of childrens' data ...
The children under 13 that is. They must be, right? Otherwise their parents would have made sure their kids weren't throwing personal information all over the place and posting videos. Right?
Is no one asking the question,
who was TikTok selling the data too? Who wants to know info on the under 13s?
the gubmint needs to babysit my kids on the internets.
stop with the faggoty rap crap.
Children use this app and all of the sudden the government is entitled to millions of dollars?
And this helps the kids how?
Maybe the kids should be *allowed* to use apps and privacy warriors can let people do what they want for a change.
I guess they never miss huh
You got a fine
I bet it doesn’t diss ya
It gon find another girl and you gon pay yah
He gon skrrrtt and hit the dab like wiz khalifa