- Privacy authorities have found flaws in TikTok's age verification and transparency practices in Canada.
- TikTok has agreed to strengthen controls and clarify data use for young users.
- Advertising directed at minors will be limited, except by language and approximate location.
- The case is part of a global scrutiny; Ottawa issued a cease-and-desist order, which the company is challenging.
The privacy authorities of Canada They concluded that TikTok's mechanisms for keep minors off the platform and safeguarding your information did not reach the required levelFollowing this investigation, the company has committed to tightening age controls and improve communication about how it handles personal data.
The joint inquiry, led by federal commissioner Philippe Dufresne and his counterparts from Quebec, British Columbia and Alberta, determined that hundreds of thousands of Canadian children access TikTok each year, despite the fact that its use is prohibited for children under 13 years of age, and that sensitive data was collected and used to target content and advertising.
What Canadian regulators have detected
The official examination identified deficiencies in age verification that allowed access to users who were too young. He also noted that the platform did not explain clearly enough, or in appropriate language, what information it collected and for what purposes it was processed.
According to the commissioners, the company collected large volumes of data, including usage habits, interactions, preferences and approximate location, which fed both video recommendations and ads shown to users.
During the presentation of the results, Commissioner Dufresne noted that the scope of such a collection could have adverse effects in adolescents, by strongly influencing what they see and consume within the application.
Provincial and federal investigators also pointed to the need for TikTok improve your transparency so that younger people can easily understand what data is being processed, for how long, and with whom it is being shared.
The measures agreed by TikTok in Canada
In response, the company has agreed to strengthen its processes to confirm the age of users and adjust its privacy notices, with more accessible explanations for children and adolescents. The company also announced its willingness to work with regulators to consolidate these improvements.
- Blocking targeted advertising under 18 years, allowing only targeting by language and approximate region.
- Expansion of the privacy information available for users in Canada.
- Clearer messages and settings about the use and retention of data Of the youngs.
- More robust age controls for prevent access of minors under 13 years of age.
From TikTok, a spokesperson expressed satisfaction that the commissioners have supported several of their proposals to “strengthen the platform in Canada”, although the company disagrees with some specific conclusions of the report without detailing them.
Regulators warned that they will maintain a continuous monitoring on the implementation of these commitments, with the aim of ensuring that the changes result in greater security and clarity for younger users.
This case is part of a broader panorama of international surveillance. Various institutions of the European Union have imposed restrictions in the European Union the use of the app on official devices, and in the United States its installation on federal government mobile phones has been banned for security reasons.
In Canada, furthermore, the process of reviewing the company's investments and expansion resulted in a government order to cease operations for national security reasons, currently being challenged by the company. TikTok, owned by ByteDance, remains under scrutiny due to perceived risks in data transfer and content moderation.
The development of these measures and regulatory scrutiny paint a picture in which the protection of minors and transparency in data processing are at the heart of the debate, with concrete commitments in Canada and an eye on how restrictions and obligations evolve in other markets.
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