Recently, TikTok, the famous teen app, has been accused of violating childs laws. The app has supposedly broken an agreement with the FTC to protect under-age users.
Additionally, it is alleged in the latest lawsuit that the app sends kid’s personal data to China, despite promising not to! On one side Instagram launches new safety measures, Google introduces teacher-approved Kids Tab and on another hand, this video sharing app breaches child privacy regulations, potentially exposing them to online predators.
The FTC last year fined $ 5.7 million for illegally obtaining the personal data of children. In 2019, the lip-syncing app Musical.ly (Now TikTok)violated the COPPA regulations (Children’s online privacy protection Act).
However, with the current news of breaching the child laws, people led the coalition intending to run a full-fledged Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood (CCFC). People filed an FTC complaint against TikTok’s predatory business model.
What Is COPPA?
The Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) is a law formed to defend the privacy of children under 13. The Act was passed by the U.S. Congress in 1998 and took effect in April 2000. COPPA is managed by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).
The Act specifies various online platforms must require parental consent for the collection or use of any personal information of minor users.
It also tells what must be included in a privacy policy, to safeguard kid’s rights.
TikTok And COPPA Violations
TikTok frequently violates COPPA guidelines and uses millions of underage children’s data for its marketing purposes. This action puts the under-age users at risk of sexual predation.
Josh Golin, executive director of CCFC, stated–“Now, even after being caught red-handed by the FTC, TikTok continues to flout the law. We urge the [FTC] to take swift action and sanction against TikTok again—this time with a fine and injunctive relief commensurate with the seriousness of TikTok’s serial violations.”
This addictive app is becoming a trending craze of today’s youth. Children lie about their age and use this app to gain popularity with lip-syncing videos.
Melissa Campbell, communications and operations manager at the CCFC, points out that information like usernames, profile pictures, and home videos can be seen by anyone and such data leaks are potential threats for minor kids.
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