Canada says TikTok collected sensitive data from many children

By Busra Nur Cakmak

ANKARA (AA) – A Canadian investigation found that TikTok, a social media platform with hundreds of thousands of underage users in the country, failed to effectively enforce age restrictions and collected large amounts of sensitive personal data from children.

The Canadian government on Tuesday published its report on TikTok amid ongoing debates in the US over whether the app should be sold or banned due to data security concerns.

According to the report, the company’s practices in collecting and using personal data to determine personalized content and advertising were examined for compliance with Canadian privacy laws.

The report noted that hundreds of thousands of underage Canadian citizens use the platform and highlighted TikTok’s insufficient measures to enforce provincial bans on access for children under 13.

“As a result of TikTok’s inadequate age assurance measures, the company collected the personal information of a large number of Canadian children, including information that the offices consider to be sensitive,” the report said.

The report further revealed that TikTok collects biometric data such as facial and voice information. While around 500,000 underage users are blocked each year, flaws in age-verification mechanisms mean that many children will go undetected.