Observed Signal · Sep 18, 2023 · Regulation · Source: OnlineMarketing.de · Impact: 4/5 · Sentiment: Negative
EU Fines TikTok €345M for GDPR Breaches
The Irish Data Protection Commission fined TikTok €345 million for GDPR violations related to the processing of data from users aged 13-17. The regulator’s inquiry covered July–December 2020 and found weaknesses such as default public profiles for under-18s and the linking of under-18 accounts with adult accounts, enabling messaging across ages. The UK Information Commissioner’s Office had previously levied a £12.7 million penalty for underage data misuse. TikTok disputes the size of the fine and notes remedial actions implemented since early 2021, including private-by-default settings for 13–15-year-olds, restricting certain features for under-16s, and enhanced parental controls. Additionally, TikTok announced European data storage plans (Project Clover) with data centers in Dublin (operational) and Norway/Ireland (under construction), with NCC Group providing external security monitoring under the CHECK scheme.
Regulatory action by EU GDPR authorities affecting data handling and advertising implications
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Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- Irish Data Protection Commission fined TikTok €345 million for GDPR violations related to under-18 data handling.
- Investigation period: July–December 2020; findings included public-by-default profiles for under-18s and cross-linking with adult accounts enabling cross-account messaging.
- UK Information Commissioner’s Office previously fined TikTok £12.7 million for misuse of data involving under-18s.
- TikTok relocated European user data storage to Ireland; Project Clover announced with three European data centers (first in Dublin operational; two more under construction in Norway and Ireland).
- NCC Group will externally monitor TikTok’s European data traffic; UK’s NCSC CHECK scheme approved.
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